A fire at a primary boarding school in central Kenya has tragically claimed the lives of 17 students, according to a police spokeswoman on Friday. President William Ruto has called for a thorough investigation and pledged accountability for those responsible.

The incident took place at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, where rescuers are still arriving on the scene, police spokeswoman Resila Onyango shared on Kenya's Hot 96 FM radio. "Seventeen pupils have sadly perished in the fire, while 14 others sustained injuries," Onyango told Reuters. She added that a team was already at the site to manage the situation.

Earlier reports from Citizen Television revealed that the fire had completely charred the students, making identification difficult. President Ruto, addressing the situation on his X account, directed authorities to conduct a comprehensive inquiry, vowing that those responsible would face consequences. The Kenya Red Cross also confirmed on X that the school has been sealed off by authorities.

Kenya has seen several school fires over the years, many of which were later confirmed as arson. Notably, in September 2017, nine students died in a fire at a Nairobi school, which was attributed to arson by the government. Earlier tragedies include the 2001 dormitory fire at Kyanguli Secondary School near Nairobi, where 58 schoolboys lost their lives, and an incident in 2012 at a school in Homa Bay County, where eight students were killed.