LIKUYANI, KAKAMEGA COUNTY – Recovery efforts are well underway as Friends Senior School Kongoni endeavour to rebuild a dormitory that housed about 150 residents after a fire destroyed it metres before the new academic year is set to commence.
Likuyani Member of Parliament Hon. Innocent Mugabe visited the school on Saturday morning to visit the site of the incident and to recognise the importance of working collectively to aid the recovery of the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders who will graduate from school next week.
Speaking to school and district leaders, Hon. Mugabe expressed his sympathy towards students affected by the fire. He reminded them that they will not be alone in the recovery process and they must work collaboratively to recover the institution after what he described as a painful incident. Hon. Mugabe also said that he was confident that the institution would recover with the support and cooperation of the government, community, parents and other development partners.
Immediately following the incident, Hon. Mugabe donated 200 mattresses to replace those destroyed by the fire and promised additional blankets and food to support the affected students as the school prepares for reopening.
In addition to these emergency donations, the MP also said a contribution will be made from the Likuyani National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF), to help rebuild the damaged infrastructure. The contribution will be used towards rebuilding the dormitory that was destroyed and enabling the students to return to their studies safely.
Hon. Mugabe also said he would seek support from well-wishers, development partners and other stakeholders to mobilise more resources for the school. He further said that the rebuilding of the dormitory and replacement of learning facilities could not be achieved without the joint support from both public and private partners.
He was also joined at the school by other leaders, including UDA National Treasurer and Kitutu Chache North MP, Hon. Japheth Nyakundi, education officials, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) and local administrators, who assessed the damage and discussed ways of helping the school regain its strength.
Losses incurred from a fire can be discouraging. But in the case of Friends School Kongoni, the destruction of two classrooms and other facilities can also be seen as an opportunity to re-examine the state of school safety standards.
The fire continued to be a topic of conversation among school administrators and stakeholders even a month after the tragedy. Among the issues being discussed were emergency preparedness, fire prevention and safety, as well as the protection of schools against unexpected disasters.
In a recent visit to the Fukeri compound, administered by Friends Senior School Kongoni, Mr P. Okechukwu Ojiakor, chairman of the constituency, expressed his sympathy and support for the students of the centre who had lost school property amongst other things.
We understand that investigations into the cause of the fire are still ongoing. But we urge the general public to allow investigators to do their job before drawing conclusions. We are also calling for everyone’s patience and cooperation as we assess losses, repair and complete the recovery works. Friends Senior School Kongoni will be saved, it is only a matter of time.
Friends School Kongoni hasn’t even shut down because of the fire nor has it halted its operations. If we are to see restoration and repair works, students have been encouraged to teach in a safe environment where we can go on learning without shackles. The support and attention from the constituency leadership, government institutions and well-wishers would go a long way in helping resume normality in the school environment.