Three pupils died Thursday after a pit latrine collapsed at Queen of Angels Academy in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County.
The victims were all young children—two girls from Pre-Primary 1 (PP1) and one girl from Pre-Primary 2 (PP2).
Emergency and rescue teams retrieved the bodies of the three ECDE pupils, with reports indicating that one child is still missing.
The incident was blamed on heavy rains that are said to have weakened the toilet structure.
According to eyewitnesses, the children had gone to the latrine to relieve themselves in the morning when the structure suddenly gave way.
“Turbo Sub-County police commander Patrick Wekesa confirmed the incident.”
“Three bodies of the pupils were retrieved from the collapsed latrine and taken to the hospital in critical condition.”
“Unfortunately, all three have since been confirmed dead, and their bodies have been taken to Turbo Sub-County Hospital before being transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.”
The parents identified them in mortuary amid chaos.
Emotions ran high as the parents of the affected identified the pupils.
The school community is now mourning the loss, with the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret confirming the tragic news.
Father Mathew Too, the Education Secretary of Catholic Schools in the diocese, described the incident as unfortunate.
This incident prompted urgent calls for action to ensure safe infrastructure in schools.
Nelson Kirui, the Executive Secretary of the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) for Eldoret West, called for a review of safety measures in schools in Turbo and take immediate action.
The bodies of the three pupils have been transferred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, where an investigation into the incident is underway.
The community was left in shock and is demanding answers regarding how such a tragedy could have occurred.
Governor Jonathan Bii condoled with the bereaved families, saying as a precautionary measure, the county has engaged officials from the Ministry of Education to initiate structural assessments of sanitation facilities in schools across the county to help prevent future tragedies.
