National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has urged the Ministry of Education to launch a nationwide crackdown on schools that have failed to comply with government safety regulations, saying non-compliance has contributed to the loss of lives and property in school fires.
Speaking during a fundraising event at Chekalini Comprehensive School in support of PAG churches in Lugari Constituency, Speaker Wetang’ula expressed concern that many school management teams continue to ignore key safety standards.
He said the recent Utumishi Academy fire tragedy, which claimed 16 lives and injured 79 other learners, should prompt stricter inspections and firm action against schools that fail to meet safety requirements.
“It is painful for parents to lose their children in fire incidents that could have been avoided if schools had complied with the laid-down safety protocols,” he said while condoling with the affected families.
The Speaker blamed irregular inspections by Ministry of Education officials for the failure by some schools to implement safety measures.
“Lack of regular inspections is one of the reasons many schools fail to implement safety protocols that could save lives in the event of a tragedy,” he said.
Wetang’ula also called on the ministry to ensure that a responsible adult is assigned to sleep in school dormitories to help students evacuate during emergencies such as fires.
