Alliance High School parents speak after night fire leads to school closure

A fire that gutted a school store housing old mattresses at Alliance High School has sparked concern among parents, with some raising suspicions of external influence as education officials move to restore order and launch investigations into the incident.

The incident, which occurred on Wednesday night following earlier reports of student unrest within the school, prompted an emergency meeting involving the Board of Management, parents’ representatives and officials from the Ministry of Education, culminating in a decision to send students home temporarily.

Abas Abdul Kadir, a parent at the school, said he rushed to the school after receiving a message early in the morning informing him of the incident and an urgent meeting.

“I received a text message at around 7:25 a.m. informing me that something had happened last night and that we were required to come for a meeting. I came and later found my son safe, but the damage I saw from the fire was worrying,” he said.

Kadir expressed concern over what he described as a disturbing pattern of school fires in recent weeks, suggesting that the incidents may not be coincidental.

“These fires are becoming too frequent. It is hard to say it is just students or parents. There could be external forces involved because of how similar incidents are happening in different schools,” he said, while also pointing to the possible role of social media and digital platforms in influencing learners.

Another parent said they were informed that security officers had already taken in several students for questioning.

“We were told that about 10 students had been arrested and are assisting police with investigations,” the parent said.

School Principal David Kamau confirmed that the incident followed earlier disruptions where some students interfered with lighting in four classrooms before the situation escalated at night.

Kamau said CCTV footage later showed that two boys were captured torching the school store that housed old mattresses, which subsequently went up in flames.

Regional Director of Education Sabina Aroni confirmed that stakeholders agreed to release learners to go home as a precautionary measure to ease anxiety and ensure safety while investigations continue.

“As a consensus, we agreed that due to anxiety that might build up among students and parents, it is in order that the students be released to go home,” she said.

She added that the school will implement a phased reopening next week, with Form Four students expected back on Tuesday, Form Two on Wednesday, and Form Three on Thursday.

Officials confirmed that security agencies have launched investigations into the fire, with about 10 students arrested and assisting police with inquiries as part of efforts to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Despite the disruption, education authorities maintained that the institution remains stable and expressed confidence that normal learning will resume once investigations are concluded and safety is assured.