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Fire kills 17 boys at Kenyan boarding school, investigation underway

Africa /

A devastating fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a boarding school in Nyeri, Kenya, claimed the lives of 17 boys in the early hours of Friday. The blaze ripped through a dormitory while the students were sleeping, police confirmed. Local broadcaster Citizen Television reported that the victims were burnt beyond recognition. The incident occurred at the primary school, located roughly 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. “We have lost 17 pupils in the fire incident while 14 are injured,” police spokesperson Resila Onyango stated. “Our team is at the scene at the moment.” According to government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura, the boys were in grades 4 to 8, placing their ages between 9 and 13. The dormitory housed 156 students at the time of the fire. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation. Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki visited the school and assured the public of a thorough investigation. “All relevant government agencies have been deployed to seek the truth on what caused the fire leading to the loss and injury of so many young souls,” he said. Kindiki also vowed accountability for those responsible, adding that “the government assures full accountability for all whose action or inaction contributed to this tremendous loss.” His remarks were echoed by President William Ruto, who ordered authorities to fully investigate the “horrific incident” and hold the perpetrators accountable. Authorities have cordoned off the school, and crime scene investigators are working to determine the fire’s cause. Calls made to the school’s main phone line by Reuters went unanswered. Belio Kipsang, Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Education, confirmed the school has 824 students, including 422 girls. Of the girls, 160 are boarders while the rest attend as day scholars. Kenya has experienced similar tragedies in the past, many of which were later attributed to arson. In 2017, nine students died in a fire at a Nairobi school, and a 2001 dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School outside Nairobi killed 58 boys. Another incident in 2012 saw eight students lose their lives in Homa Bay County. The government has pledged to find the truth behind this latest tragedy and prevent future occurrences.

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Fake CV lands former chief engineer 15 years in jail

Africa /

Daniel Mthimkhulu, once the chief engineer at South Africa’s state-owned Passenger Rail Agency (Prasa), has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for fabricating his qualifications. Mthimkhulu, who joined Prasa in 2000, quickly climbed the ranks to head its engineering department, earning an annual salary of about 2.8 million rand ($156,000; £119,000). Mthimkhulu, 49, falsely claimed to hold several mechanical engineering degrees, including a qualification from South Africa’s prestigious University of the Witwatersrand and a doctorate from a German university. However, a Johannesburg court heard that he had only completed high school. “The sentence sends a strong message that the perpetrators of white-collar crime will not go unpunished,” said Phindi Mjonondwane, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). Mthimkhulu’s deceit came to light in 2015, leading to his arrest. His fabricated qualifications and forged job offer from a German company enabled him to secure a pay rise at Prasa. He also played a key role in a 600 million rand deal to purchase new trains from Spain, which turned out to be unusable in South Africa because they were too tall. “The court took into account the seriousness of the fraud, the significant financial loss to Prasa, and Mthimkhulu’s betrayal of his employer’s trust,” Mjonondwane added. In a 2019 interview with eNCA, Mthimkhulu admitted he did not have a PhD, saying, “I failed to correct the perception that I have it. I just became comfortable with the title.” South Africa’s elite police unit, the Hawks, which was involved in the investigation, hailed the sentence. Lt-Gen Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya, head of the Hawks, said, “This should serve as a lesson to would-be fraudsters that crime doesn’t pay.” The case is part of broader efforts to tackle corruption in South Africa, with some linking it to the widespread “state capture” corruption during Jacob Zuma’s presidency (2009-2018). The news sparked reactions on social media, with many emphasizing the need for stricter qualification verification processes. Mthimkhulu is reportedly planning to appeal the sentence.

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