A massive fire broke out at Tharaka University on Wednesday evening, reducing the institution’s administration block to rubble.
Dramatic images and videos shared on social media showed the building also housing the university’s media lab engulfed in intense orange flames, destroying property worth millions of shillings and vital institutional documents.
Fortunately, no injuries or casualties have been reported.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, though early reports suggest it may have been sparked by an electrical fault.
Authorities have launched investigations to establish the precise cause.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism toward the Tharaka Nithi County government over what many described as a delayed emergency response.
Witnesses claim the fire raged for longer than necessary due to the slow arrival of firefighting services.
Tharaka University, one of Kenya’s youngest institutions of higher learning, was established in 2017 as a constituent college of Chuka University. It became a fully chartered university in 2022.
This incident adds to a growing list of fire outbreaks in Kenyan universities.
In January, a blaze damaged the historic Gandhi Wing at the University of Nairobi’s main campus.
Last May, a fire razed the top floor of Kenyatta University’s Old Moi Library, which housed several departmental offices.
The University of Eastern Africa, Baraton, also suffered fire damage in October when a women’s dormitory caught fire.
Authorities continue to assess the extent of the damage at Tharaka University as the academic community awaits further updates on the investigation.
Waiguru secures new dialysis machines at Kerugoya for kidney patients.
