Parents of students at Moi High School Gesusu in Masaba South, Kisii County, will shoulder the cost of rebuilding a dormitory destroyed by fire after the school’s Board of Management extended the institution’s closure until the start of the third term.
In a notice to parents and guardians dated July 21, the Extra County school announced that learning would not resume for the remainder of the second term, saying the few weeks left were insufficient for meaningful academic work as repairs to the damaged dormitory continue.
The Board said the Department of Public Works had prepared a Bill of Quantities estimating the repair costs at Sh2.82 million.
To raise the funds, the school has introduced a cost-sharing arrangement among affected students.
Under the plan, all Form Three students and learners in Forms 4P, 4J, 4V, 4U, 4G, 4E and 4N will each pay Sh2,000 towards the repairs.
However, students in Form 4M will each pay Sh11,798 after the Board concluded that they bore the greatest responsibility for the fire incident.
The school also directed that all students clear any outstanding school fees and other financial obligations before being readmitted.
In addition, Form Three and Form Four students will be required to report back in the company of their parents or guardians and present proof of payment for the assessed damage costs.
According to the reopening schedule, Grade 10 students will report on August 24, Form Three students on August 25, and Form Four students on August 26, with all learners expected to be in school by 3 p.m.
To minimize disruption to learning during the extended closure, the school has organised the collection of revision materials between July 22 and July 30 under a staggered timetable.
The Gesusu fire is the latest in a series of school dormitory fires that have raised concern across the Gusii region in recent weeks.
In June, a dormitory at Masosa Mixed Secondary School in Nyamira County was destroyed during a period of student unrest, forcing the closure of the school alongside several other institutions affected by disturbances.
Around the same period, St. Paul’s Nyankanda Secondary School in Nyamira and Magena Girls Secondary School in Bomachoge Borabu also suffered dormitory fires, although no injuries were reported.
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