Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya begins three days of national mourning Monday following the deaths of at least 21 students in a boarding school inferno in central Kenya.
Distraught parents and relatives gathered to give samples for DNA testing Monday at the Naromoru hospital in Kenya, four days after the fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy, where some of the deceased were burned beyond recognition.
The dormitory housed 156 students, the majority of whom escaped. However, officials say 17 children remain unaccounted for following the tragedy, which has devastated the school community.
John Mwangi said he still does not know the whereabouts of his child, a student at the school.
"At least it'll be a reprieve to 20 parents. I might be among them, I don't know ... that's why we are here. We are hanging on hope," he said.
Some parents and relatives have been camping at the school to demand answers.
Chief government pathologist Johansen Oduor said DNA testing will help families get closure.
"We'll be undergoing a process of DNA collection from them at the hospital by the government chemist, then on Tuesday, we'll start the autopsy," Oduor said. "During the autopsy, we'll be documenting the cause of death and also taking samples for DNA which will later be reconciled so that at the end of the day, we'll be able to unite the parents to their children."
The Red Cross and ministry of health have been offering support to those affected.
"We have the emergency disaster preparedness and response team," said Deborah Barasa, Kenya's cabinet secretary for health. "We have the counselors, or the mental health and psychosocial support. We have forensic teams on the ground and they are supporting in every way."
Officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire, with investigations ongoing.
There have been a number of incidents of fires at Kenyan boarding schools in recent years, prompting national concerns about safety standards.
A report released in 2020 by the country's auditor general said many schools lack
proper equipment to handle fires and many dormitories are not constructed in accordance with government regulations.
Education cabinet secretary Julius Ogamba said a review of the rules is needed.
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"Perhaps as a country it has reached that time when we need to relook at those rules and regulations, which are policies, and find out whether it is time for us to move them a step further and make them laws so that there are penalties that will attach to any person who violates them," Ogamba said.
Kenya's deadliest school fire was in 2001 when at least 67 students died in a dormitory inferno at Kyanguli high school in the southeast of the country.
As the country marks three days of mourning for another school fire, experts say the government needs to do more to ensure the safety of learners.
