Court Orders Safety Review for Endarasha Academy Before Limited Reopening

NYERI: The High Court in Nyeri has mandated the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, to submit a comprehensive safety report concerning Hillside Endarasha Academy by Thursday next week. This directive comes in the wake of a legal action initiated by the Kenya Human Rights Commission, David Karani, and the Elimu Bora Working Group. According to Kenya News Agency, Justice Kizito Magare has granted temporary relief to the school, permitting the admission of 114 students scheduled to take the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA). This concession, however, is contingent upon verification of safety measures by the Nyeri County Director of Education. "The 1st and 3rd respondents...may admit only 114 students/pupils into the dormitories for the purposes of assessment and exams after the County Director of Education, Ms. Jane Njogu, has personally visited and has been satisfied with the safety of the dormitory," stated Justice Magare. The court's decision follows an earlier ruling that prohib ited the reopening of the school's boarding facilities after a fire incident on September 5 resulted in the deaths of 21 students. The petitioners have expressed concerns over the respondents' attempts to reopen the school without a thorough assessment of safety protocols. They have also urged the court to require the respondents to provide psychosocial support to affected students and families. Justice Magare's latest order also calls for the respondents, including Mr. Kinyua, the school's Board of Management, and various educational boards, to submit health, safety, and structural reports by Wednesday. Additionally, a new inspection of the school's electrical systems has been ordered following questions about the validity of previous reports. The case is set to proceed on October 24 at the Nyeri High Court.