NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 10 – The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched an investigation into a fire incident at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Juja early Tuesday morning.
The blaze, which broke out around 3 am on Tuesday, left seven students injured.
Preliminary reports indicate that the fire spread rapidly through the Kifaru male hostels, engulfing several rooms within minutes.
Maxwell Njuguna, a resident of the hostel, told Capital FM that the building’s doors were locked when the fire started, making it difficult for students to escape.
“I heard shouts for help and saw thick smoke and flames emerging from the windows,” Njuguna recounted.
“The fire spread so fast, and it was terrifying to watch.”
Videos circulating on social media show thick smoke and a large fireball rising from the hostel’s windows, sparking panic among students and other residents of the university.
The institution’s clinical department confirmed that seven students were injured in the incident, with five admitted to JKUAT Hospital and two others receiving treatment at Thika Level 5 Hospital.
The exact cause of the fire remains unclear with detectives working to determine its origin.
