Head of Public Service Felix Koskei on Saturday ordered the Ministry of Education to commence the immediate inspection of all schools infrastructure to ensure compliance with the safety regulations in the wake of a recent fire incident that claimed the lives of 21 pupils at Hillside Endarasha School in Nyeri County.

The Head of Public Service ordered the quality assurance officers within the Ministry to ensure that learners' safety, both in classes and dormitories, are ensured to prevent disasters posed by the risks. 

‘’I am asking the Department of Quality Assurance officers and every government officer whether they are in teaching profession or at the management levels to ensure that the safety of our children whether they are in classes or dormitories is assured,’’ Koskei directed.

He stated that the country has reached a point where it cannot afford to lose the lives of children every year due to failure to comply with safety standards.

"We cannot afford to lose lives over failure to adhere to the safety regulations every year. We want to ensure that parents feel safe when they release their children to school," the Head of Public Service stated.

"The parents should feel safe that the children are safe under the management and teachers of the schools they are in and the management should ensure that the facilities they are in are up to standards," he added.

Koskei also directed schools’ management to adhere to protocols set by the Ministry of Education to ensure safety of learners in schools.

At the same time, Koskei ordered that the inspection should also only approve constructions that are in line with the guidelines given by the Ministry of Education and other relevant agencies.

‘’The inspectorate of the Ministry working closely with the Minister of Education in the locations have to do proper inspection and guidelines, and they need to approve the construction of schools in line with the guidelines given,’’ he ordered.

He also revealed that the government was banking on a plan to see strict compliance with the management levels of the schools in the country to promote learning standards.

‘’We also want to assure you that the government is keen to ensure that all schools whether private or public are managed well,’’ he stated.

The Head of Public Service also noted that the government was fully committed to the course of ensuring safety in both private and public schools in the country. He was speaking in response to the recent fire tragedy that claimed lives of over 17 pupils at Endarasha Hillside Academy in Nyeri County.