3 Pupils Die as Pit Latrine Collapses at Queen of Angels School in Uasin Gishu

Three young pupils have died at Queen of Angels Turbo School in Uasin Gishu County, following the collapse of a pit latrine on Tuesday morning. 

The victims, all girls aged under ten and enrolled in Grade One and Two, were using the latrine shortly before classes commenced when the structure gave way. Emergency response teams, including local police and rescue personnel, were dispatched to the scene, near Turbo Girls High School, upon notification of the incident.

Patrick Wekesa, Turbo Sub-County Police Commander, confirmed the deaths of the three children. Several other pupils were rescued from the debris and transported to the hospital for urgent medical care. An excavator was used in the search operation to determine if any other pupils remained trapped beneath the rubble. 

"We are digging up the site to ascertain whether other pupils are underground," Wekesa said, adding that a comprehensive report would be issued following the completion of the site clearance.

Initial investigations suggest that recent heavy rainfall, which has saturated the region, may have contributed to the collapse by weakening the soil and compromising the latrine's foundations. Fr Mathew Too, the Education Secretary for Catholic schools in the Eldoret Catholic Diocese, the body under which the school operates, visited the scene. He expressed his profound sorrow at the loss of life and stated that the latrine had not shown any visible signs of instability prior to the collapse. 

He also confirmed that engineers have commenced inspections of other school facilities to evaluate their safety amid the current wet conditions. Wilson Sawe, from the Department of Education’s Directorate of Administration and Planning, also visited the school. He conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and assured them that pupil safety is the ministry's utmost priority. Sawe announced that the ministry has initiated a broad directive for the inspection of schools in rain-affected areas to avert similar disasters. 

"We have taken measures to ensure that all other pupils are safe. We will wait for investigations to establish the actual cause," Sawe confirmed.

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) has added its voice to the calls for urgent governmental action. Nelson Kirui, KNUT’s Executive Secretary for Eldoret West, has urged authorities to intensify inspections of school infrastructure, especially during periods of heavy rainfall, to safeguard the well-being of young learners. 

“We call on the government to inspect facilities at all schools and ensure all our children are safe,” he said.

This incident at Queen of Angels School recalls a similar tragedy that occurred in March at Ramba Boys High School in Siaya County, where two Form Four students died after a septic tank they were standing on collapsed. The tank gave way at approximately 6 pm, trapping the students underneath. A joint team of police officers and Kenya Red Cross personnel worked overnight to retrieve the bodies, which were subsequently taken to Bondo Sub-County Referral Hospital.

Following that event, students staged protests demanding the removal of the school principal, citing allegations of poor leadership and mismanagement. The school was temporarily closed for two weeks to allow tensions to ease and for authorities to implement revised safety protocols.