A fire on the evening of 5 September destroyed several dormitory blocks at Tengecha Boys High School in Kericho County, prompting the school board to order an indefinite closure.

Kericho County Education Director Julius Ngoneshi said the board met on 5 October and unanimously decided to send all pupils home while damage assessments are carried out.

The blaze primarily affected infrastructure used by Grade 10 students, a cohort of 571 learners, which influenced the decision to suspend classes for that group.

Local residents, students and staff joined forces to contain the fire, which at one point threatened to spread beyond the affected floor of the dormitory.

The second floor of the dormitory suffered severe damage, with windows and other structural elements destroyed, but no injuries were reported.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has opened a probe into the cause of the fire, and no arrests have been made to date.

The incident follows new measures introduced by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, which hold parents financially responsible for rebuilding school property damaged during student unrest and impose criminal penalties for arson.