By Dennis Onsarigo
Students must understand that there are consequences for setting other human beings on fire.
When I visited Naivasha Maximum Prison, I met the only person convicted over the May 24, 1999, arson attack at Nyeri High School that claimed the lives of four prefects.
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The former student was about 33 years old when I met him. He had been convicted by a juvenile court and was later committed to life imprisonment after turning 18.
The 2001 Kyanguli Secondary School fire tragedy claimed the lives of 67 students. Two 16-year-olds were arrested and charged with murder. However, the judge handling the case resigned in 2006 amid corruption-related allegations, and a new judge later declared the proceedings a mistrial.
I took time to study the case file, and it was clear that someone had gone to great lengths to ensure the two boys escaped justice. I eventually tracked one of them to an office in Nairobi’s CBD. He is still somewhere out there.
The July 13, 1991, St. Kizito High School massacre remains the most disturbing and heart-wrenching story I have ever covered.
The boys stormed the girls’ dormitory. Their reason? The girls had refused to join them in a strike.
In the violence that followed, 71 schoolgirls were raped and 19 lost their lives, most of them suffocating after being crushed into a corner during the attack.
Some suspects were arrested, but as often happens, parents manipulated the justice system and many escaped the hangman’s noose.
In a dark twist of fate, many of the accused later reportedly developed severe mental health problems, while others descended into alcoholism.
I remember visiting one survivor, now in her fifties, who was still overwhelmed by the events of that night. She broke down in tears as she recounted her ordeal.
I also met many of the boys involved, now grown men. Most were alcoholics. Their lives had been wasted.
Time will tell how the tragic Utumishi fire case unfolds. But if prosecutors prove that those arrested were involved, it could mark the end of both their education and their freedom.
I have reported on the tragedies at Nyeri High School, St. Kizito, Kyanguli, Endarasha, and Bombolulu Girls High School.
Each visit was a life-changing experience.
No amount of justice or compensation can ever bring back the lives that were lost.
Editor’s note: The author is a renowned Kenyan investigative journalist. The commentary was originally posted on X and is reproduced here to reach a wider audience in light of the ongoing national discussion surrounding school fire tragedies and accountability.
