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NAIROBI, Kenya, June 2 \u2014 The Consortium of Secondary Schools Alumni Associations of Kenya (COSSAAK) has called for an urgent nationwide audit of dormitory safety and emergency escape systems in all boarding schools following a series of school fires and student unrest incidents, including the devastating blaze at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School that claimed 16 lives.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In a statement issued Tuesday, the national alumni federation expressed deep concern over what it described as growing learner-safety failures in secondary schools and urged authorities to move beyond crisis response and adopt a preventive approach to school safety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The organization said the recent tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, together with reported fire incidents at St Joseph\u2019s Seminary Senior School in Molo and St Paul\u2019s Githakwa Secondary School in Nyeri County, highlighted systemic concerns that require immediate national attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n COSSAAK extended condolences to families, students, teachers and staff affected by the Utumishi Girls tragedy and called for comprehensive medical, psychosocial and counselling support for survivors and affected school communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe recurrence of such incidents within a short period points to a wider national concern that cannot be treated as isolated misfortune,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consortium is now demanding a national audit of dormitory architecture and emergency egress in all boarding institutions, covering occupancy levels, bed spacing, upper-storey dormitories, door placement and operation, emergency exits, window safety, stairways, lighting, electrical installations, fire detection systems, firefighting equipment, evacuation signage, assembly points and night-supervision arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It also wants authorities to establish a clear risk-rating system for boarding facilities, with corrective directives, implementation timelines and temporary closure of dormitories found to pose safety risks to learners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beyond infrastructure concerns, COSSAAK urged the government to conduct national and county-level assessments of learner wellbeing and school climate, focusing on counselling services, bullying, examination pressure, student grievance mechanisms, substance abuse concerns, violence risks and the emotional wellbeing of students in boarding environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The alumni body called for stronger prevention systems in schools, including functional grievance channels, robust student leadership structures, guidance and counselling programmes, mentorship initiatives, psychosocial support services and active night supervision..<\/p>\n\n\n\n COSSAAK further advocated for the inclusion of national and county health departments as key stakeholders in school safety responses, particularly in trauma care, mental health interventions and psychosocial support programmes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The statement comes as investigations continue into last week’s fatal dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), eight students were initially arrested as persons of interest following preliminary investigations involving CCTV analysis, forensic examinations and witness interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Investigators are examining burn patterns, electrical installations, ignition sources and the possible presence of accelerants to establish the cause of the fire and determine whether arson was involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Authorities said the blaze extensively damaged the first floor of the Melino Waithera Dormitory, a two-storey building that housed 135 double-decker beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separately, prosecutors have sought orders to detain nine students linked to the case for 30 days to allow investigators to complete forensic examinations, record witness statements and pursue additional leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n COSSAAK said the tragedy underscores the need for coordinated action involving the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Teachers Service Commission, County Education Boards, school boards, parents, students, alumni associations, faith-based organizations and community partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs alumni, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting schools through mentorship, guidance, resource mobilisation, institutional memory and advocacy initiatives that promote safe schools, positive student engagement, discipline, dignity, wellbeing and academic excellence,\u201d the organization said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The consortium, led by President Maurice Nduranu and Secretary-General Louise Nyamu-Steinbeck, said it will also issue a detailed stakeholder advisory outlining proposals on dormitory safety, emergency preparedness, learner welfare, mental-health support and stakeholder responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEvery learner deserves to feel safe, valued, heard and protected. Every boarding facility must allow learners to escape in an emergency, and every school community must have systems capable of identifying distress, responding to concerns and upholding the trust placed in it by families and the nation,\u201d COSSAAK said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The consortium is now demanding a national audit of dormitory architecture and emergency egress in all boarding institutions, covering occupancy levels, bed spacing, upper-storey dormitories, door placement and operation, emergency exits, window safety, stairways, lighting, electrical installations, fire detection systems, firefighting equipment, evacuation signage, assembly points and night-supervision arrangements<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14289,"featured_media":802815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4625,26,4],"tags":[59002,27993,1981,25086,58602],"coauthors":[2146],"class_list":["post-802814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-national-news","category-top-stories","category-world","tag-cossaak","tag-disaster-preparedness","tag-featured","tag-secondary-schools","tag-utumishi-girls-academy-fire"],"yoast_head":"\nLearner wellbeing <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Coordinated action<\/h2>\n\n\n\n