Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Tuesday intensified their probe into the cause of the Hillside Endarasha fire tragedy that left 21 pupils dead.
While conducting their investigations, a multi-agency team comprised of DCI officers, the Kenya Power Company and the Ministries of Education and Public Works spent at least six hours interrogating the school’s owner identified David Kinyua.
During the probe, the school director took the officers around the school’s premises and showed them the power installations situated in different sections of the institution.
The DCI officers, led by Homicide Director Martin Nyoguto, questioned the school owner about the events that led to the Thursday night tragedy. He reportedly founded the school 15 years ago.
An image of one of the wooden dorms at Endarasha Hillside Academy
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Of great interest to the multi-agency team was the final moments that led to the fire with investigations narrowed to the possibility of an electric fault, according to sources privy to the information.
Reports further revealed that the detectives also questioned the technician who set up the electric circuit at the school.
Meanwhile, the DCI officers have also lined up several people for questioning about the fire incident at the school.
Among the people tipped for interrogation include the school headteacher, the matron, the teacher on duty and other key witnesses including the survivors of the tragedy.
The move comes a day after the government announced the commencement of the postmortem into the bodies recovered from the scene of the tragedy.
In a statement, Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura revealed that the decision was reached following the completion of the retrieval of the bodies.
Mwaura also noted that the government had accounted for all the 330 pupils who were residing at the school during the Thursday night incident.
“The government once again extends its most heartfelt condolences to the families, friends and relatives of all those who are affected,” Mwaura stated.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura during a press briefing on July 18, 2024.
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Isaac Mwaura
