NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 26 – A High Court ruling has ordered the reopening of boarding facilities at Hillside Endarasha Academy following protracted court battles hindering its reopening.
Justice Magare Kizito made the ruling which consequently vacated the earlier one made on October 17 which stopped the reopening of the boarding facilities pending a health and safety report from the Ministry of Education.
The High Court based in Nyeri paved way for 24 Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) candidates to stay at the school as they prepare for their national examinations next week.
A fire at the Hillside Endarasha school dormitory claimed the lives of 21 children on September 5, 2024
Disclosures by the school’s owners, David Kinyua and Mary Wanjeri, along with the Board of Management, told the court that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority had completed the required electrical installation.
The school owners had yet to present the official report to the court. The installation had been mandated in a prior court order
State Counsel Mumbi Kiarie, representing the County Director of Education, the County Education Board, the Education Cabinet Secretary, and the Attorney-General, decried that the safety compliance report was submitted late.
“I have not had time to thoroughly review the document because it was sent to me around 9 pm on Wednesday evening. I request for more time to go through it and verify our compliance with your orders,” she stated.
Justice Kizito had directed a well set up installation questioning the previous hasty execution of the task.
County Director of Education Jane Njogu had been issued instructions to conduct a personal inspection of the school to assess its compliance with safety standards set by the ministry.
The judge had also instructed the school’s management to provide regular status reports on the ongoing safety implementation works.
The court is scheduled to reconvene on December 20,2024 when it will determine whether to fully reopen the boarding section of the academy.
The legal suit involves two non-governmental organizations; the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) and Elimu Bora Working Group along with human rights activist David Karani, who are challenging the proprietors and the Ministry of Education for allegedly reopening the school without adequate safety measures.
Source: capitalfm
