The tale of heroic bravery on the part of Mary Njengo Mokaya turned to a sombre one as it emerged she had succumbed to injuries she suffered in the Moi Girls High School inferno. The 15-year old helped tens of her colleagues to safety after fire broke out in their dorm at 2:00am on Saturday morning.
Witnesses say she was the first to see the fire and raise alarm. She frantically ran around the dorm waking her colleagues. As the norm in emergencies, most in her shoes would have ran out to save themselves first. Not Mary, she even took the initiative of pulling those who didn’t hear her screams out of their beds.
Medics at the hospital say she inhaled a lot of carbon monoxide and suffered severe burns in the process of rescuing her colleagues. The burns were so severe that she was barely recognizable. She was due to be moved to Kenyatta National for reconstructive surgery. Her body was moved to Chiromo Mortuary as the family plans her funeral.
Parents of the other 8 girls who succumbed provided DNA samples to aid in the identification process as most of them were burnt beyond recognition. According to the National Disaster Unit, DNA tests and autopsies are done and parents will be notified once results are out.
Education CS Fred Matiang’i said fire investigators conclusively found the fire was intentionally started. Meanwhile the student believed to have set the dorm ablaze is set to appear in court today. The 14-year old form one student was is the prime suspect as most students the police questioned implicated her. She is said to have issued threats that she will do something bad after her parents failed to transfer her to another school. The fire is said to have started from her bed.
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Her bad blood with the institution is said to have started after the school administration suspended her for indiscipline. They however allowed her back after she started exhibiting suicidal tendencies.
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