Boys Caught on CCTV as Alliance High School Fire Triggers Indefinite Closure

Alliance High School has been closed indefinitely after an early morning fire destroyed a dormitory mattress store, leading police to detain several students for interrogation.

The incident, which occurred in Kikuyu, Kiambu County, has sparked a major security investigation after closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage caught some of the boys executing the arson. Preliminary investigations into the Wednesday night incident indicate that the suspects may have been in active communication with people outside the school to plan the unrest, as seen in file 238862.png.

According to a police report filed at the Kikuyu Police Station, the fire broke out at around 3 a.m. on Thursday. The principal of the institution, David Chomba, raised the alarm, prompting an immediate response from law enforcement officers and emergency services.

Firefighters from the Kiambu County Government arrived at the scene and managed to contain the flames before they could spread to adjacent learning facilities and dormitories. Scene of Crime (SoC) personnel subsequently moved in to process the affected building, which sustained damage to a store containing approximately 200 mattresses.

Principal Chomba confirmed that no students were injured during the incident, and all learners were safely accounted for. Despite initial communication that normal learning routines would proceed, the school management and the Board of Management (BoM) resolved to shut down the institution as a safety precaution.

Parents and guardians were urgently summoned to the school for an emergency morning meeting to discuss student welfare and safety measures. Following the deliberations, parents were directed to collect their children and leave the compound, with the administration stating the break would allow for internal reviews.

The security teams escorted 11 students to the police station for detailed questioning regarding the planned strike. Investigators are currently tracking communication lines to establish the identities of the external actors suspected of coordinating with the students.

This arson incident at Alliance High School occurs amid a worrying wave of secondary school unrest across the country. It follows a tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil on May 28, which resulted in the deaths of 16 students and injuries to 79 others, putting the Ministry of Education under intense pressure over safety protocols.

The Architectural Association of Kenya (AAK) has since urged the government to enforce strict dormitory design guidelines, emphasizing that all emergency exit doors must remain unlocked to allow for unassisted evacuation. A nationwide audit of boarding schools is currently underway to address infrastructure vulnerabilities.