Garba Tulla High School girls' dormitory set on fire

A girls' dormitory in Garba Tulla High School, Isiolo County, was on Thursday morning set ablaze.

No casualties were reported.

Two arson suspects are currently being interrogated by police on the 6.30am fire incident.

The school's head teacher, Mr Nurr Galm Galgalo, said students were on their morning prep when the fire broke out.

It was later contained through the help of parents, teachers, security team and students.

The incident at the dormitory that houses 20 girls comes after 27 Form Four students were sent home on Tuesday for refusing to sit for the end-term mock examination.

"Students were peaceful but we suddenly got reports that one of our dormitories was on fire," he added.

The Form Four students will be accompanied by their parents when they report back to school next week.

Mr Galgalo added that the school's board of governors will immediately convene to determine the fate of the students.

Garba Tulla Deputy County Commissioner Kipchumba Rutto said the police have launched investigations on the fire incident.

The institution, which is one of the two national schools in the Isiolo, becomes the second to be burnt in the county.

Merti Muslim Girls Secondary School dormitory was set ablaze on Tuesday night.

Nine girls were arrested and the school closed for two weeks.

Kinna Secondary School, also in the county, was also closed indefinitely after Form Four students refused to sit for mock examinations.

ATTEMPTED ARSON

In neighbouring Meru County, three students of Abothuguchi Boys' Secondary school have been arrested for attempted arson while three girls from Kinjo Girls' Secondary school are also in police custody.

The fire started in one of the classrooms at around 3am before it was put out. Several locker desks were burnt.

Additional reporting by Agnes Aboo