This past weekend information began coming out of Kenya about a fire at the dorm at Mackinnon Road Girls High School, a recent Kenya Keys construction project officially opened this summer.  We have now received enough information about the situation that we feel we can accurately communicate it to our donors and supporters.

We understand that the fire damaged at least half of the building, but fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities.  All students are safely accounted for and were outside of the building at class during the time when the fire occurred.  

Unfortunately, the fire appears to have been set deliberately in an act of arson, and the school is actively seeking to determine who started the fire. While it is not certain, it is possible that this fire reflects a growing trend in Kenya where students purposefully commit arson as an act of protest against a variety of pressures they are feeling with compressed school schedules due to COVID and other factors.  As far as we know, there were no Kenya Keys students involved. While we acknowledge that students are currently under unique pressures that aren’t always well-addressed in the Kenyan educational system, we condemn any use of violence as a means to achieve change.

We are heartbroken about this destruction and the added burden it is for students and families already burdened by drought, famine, COVID, and a myriad of other challenges they face daily, especially since this appears to be a criminal act.  From an early assessment, it does appear that the building is salvageable.

One of the unique challenges of our model at Kenya Keys where we construct classrooms, dorms, and other educational facilities that are owned and managed by schools, is that once we turn them over to the school we do not have ongoing oversight or control over security and maintenance.  We recognize that limitation, and we do not want nor expect to have ongoing, long-term responsibility for these buildings, but we are eager to help protect the investment made from the donations by Kenya Keys donors.  In order to do so we are implementing, or continuing, the following steps to help create solutions in a challenging situation.

1 - As recommended by the Kenyan Board for our 5 year strategic plan, Kenya Keys will focus on future construction projects located at the Kenya Keys headquarters campus in Taru, Kenya where we have oversight of security, maintenance, and utilization of the buildings constructed there.  Not only does this create greater control over protecting donor contributions, but it also allows Kenya Keys buildings to serve larger community populations rather than just the students at a particular school.  We believe this approach creates greater access to educational opportunities for everyone in the community.

2 - Kenya Keys staff in Kenya are community leaders who will be sharing best practices with educational leaders and students in our service area to help address the current challenges in the Kenyan educational system. Joseph Mwengea, our Executive Director in Kenya, along with other staff and alumni have been invited to participate in a regional panel discussion addressing the challenges students are facing and what educational leaders and students can do to avoid conflict and create solutions. In addition, Kenya Keys is actively exploring the option of gathering regional leaders, educators, and students in our service area for a conference that would include speakers, panel discussions, and training intended to help both sides navigate these conflicts in productive ways. Ideally, the conference would occur in February when Kenya Keys is scheduling our next team visit to Taru. a US team is in the country.

3 - Future construction projects on the Kenya Keys campus, and off-campus as well, will be required to include a budget to install video monitoring systems that are cost-effective and important deterrents to destructive activity.  

We trust that these actions are the first steps in an ongoing effort to continue to support our students and staff in Kenya.  

While the current challenges in Kenya are great, as a small but determined organization, Kenya Keys hopes to reflect the aspirations of this quote from Margaret Mead,

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Thank you for your support of our vision and students so that Kenya Keys can continue to be a beacon of hope for students and communities who desire to unlock their potential through education.