LIKUYANI, KAKAMEGA COUNTY – June 26, 2026 An investigation is underway following a fire that erupted yesterday, June 25, at Kongoni Secondary School located in Likuyani constituency, Kakamega County. The fire broke out in a boys’ dormitory and then turned the building into ashes, re-igniting an ongoing public debate on fire safety at boarding schools in Kenya. No lives were lost and nobody was seriously injured.
The blaze reportedly started sometime earlier in the day while inside the school compound. A thick black plume of smoke rose into the sky before teachers, homeowners nearby and firefighters rushed in to attend to the emergency. First responders hastily evacuated students from the fire-prone area before the flames continued to rage through existing structures.
Witnesses said that they saw a large number of people of the community helping to fight the fire started by the firefighters. The swift actions to quell the blaze also saved the school from even greater disarray.
Despite the great damage caused to the student dormitory, there is no report that any student was injured in the incident. The school principal and other education officials have since taken the responsibility to assess the damage, while they planned a detailed inspection into the buildings before normal operations were resumed.
The cause of the fire has yet to be revealed. Officials are still investigating the cause of the blaze and collecting leads on how it began. Members of the public have been advised to refrain from speculating on the blaze until a full investigation is carried out.
The fire incident once again illustrates the necessity of adhering to the high fire safety standards for learning institutions around the country. Boarding schools house large numbers of children, hence the crucial need for proper safety measures. Fire safety experts continue to advise school officials to conduct regular checks into their electrical systems, ensure the existence and working condition of fire-fighting equipment, arrange proper marking of egress routes and hold regular evacuation drills.
Parents and education stakeholders have also sent in calls for a greater emphasis on modern safety measures, such as smoke detectors, fire alarm systems and emergency response protocols. Many insist that better implementation of these measures will lessen the likelihood of such incidents and bolster student safety in the economy.
While the investigation rages on, officials continue to look for ways to avoid significant disruption to pupils’ academic pursuits. Depending on the outcome of assessments of the entire infrastructure, temporary measures may be put in place for the pupils whose primary school and dormitory have been damaged.
The Kongoni Secondary School blaze is a stark reminder of the importance of continuous maintenance of school buildings and of adherence to national safety standards. Education authorities will review the findings of the investigation and propose any relevant improvements to prevent such incidents from occurring.
Nego Nation will stay on top of this developing story and share any information that is verified as we receive it from the concerned authorities.