NYERI, Kenya – Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing inquest into the September 5, 2024 dormitory fire at Hillside Academy in Nyeri County, with witnesses recounting a night marked by panic, desperate rescue attempts and overwhelming loss.
Three witnesses on Tuesday gave emotional testimonies before Senior Resident Magistrate Mary Gituma, painting a vivid picture of the chaos that engulfed the Endarasha-based school as flames consumed the boys’ dormitory, killing 21 pupils.
Parents, many still seeking answers a year later, filled the courtroom in silence as they relived the tragedy through the accounts.
Families had earlier opposed the government’s decision to open an inquest before releasing the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) report that informed it, insisting they had been kept in the dark until civil society groups intervened.
They are represented by advocate Raphael Olieti, while the school’s management and director, David Kinyua, are represented by lawyer Katwa Kigen.
Witnesses Recount Night of Horror
Matron Beatrice Nduta, who had worked at the school for four months, told the court she had just settled the girls in their dormitory when a pupil woke her, shouting that the boys’ dormitory—about 30 metres away and separated by a fence—was on fire.
“I quickly gathered the girls outside and ran towards the boys’ dorm. Some of the boys had fainted. One was brought out choking on smoke. We tried to fan air towards him with blankets. He was unresponsive until I performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation,” she said.
Overcome with emotion, Nduta told the court the memories have continued to torment her: “To the families who lost their loved ones, I pray God gives them strength. The past year has been difficult for all of us.”
Security guard James Maina recounted hearing the boys shouting “fire!” shortly after concluding his night patrol.
The dormitory’s usual patron was absent, having been injured in a motorcycle accident the previous day.
“I blew my whistle continuously, and villagers began coming from all directions,” he said.
Maina told the court that the dormitory had three doors—and although two were normally left unlocked, the boys sometimes closed them to keep out mosquitoes.
He said the blaze appeared to have started near one of the entrances.
“We tried to direct the boys to safety while others escaped through windows,” he added.
Despite the frantic rescue efforts by villagers, workers and staff, the fire spread rapidly, trapping dozens of pupils inside.
The inquest will resume on February 5, 2026, with families hoping the proceedings will finally unravel unanswered questions surrounding one of Kenya’s deadliest school fires in recent years.
