Africa-Press – Kenya. President William Ruto on Sunday honoured Luiz Karinga Ngumo, a young boy from the Endarasha Hillside Academy who moved hearts on September 5 this year when he displayed a brave act.
The young Karinga swung into action and rushed into the dormitory to try to save colleagues who got caught up when a fire broke out and engulfed a dormitory in the school.
The pupil, as a result, caught the attention of many Kenyans.
Karinga, who was present at the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Kwale County, was awarded by the Head of State as leaders seated on the presidential dias stood up to clap for him.
He was awarded in the category of Human Rights affairs, according to information from the certificates and medals award list at the garden party in Kwale.
“Luiz is being honoured for his courageous act of selflessness, when he rushed into a burning dormitory to save the lives of two of his colleagues at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County. He is honoured in the field of Human Rights,’’ the description appeared alongside his photo.
Karinga, who is a grade seven pupil at Endarasha Hillside Academy, saved two of his colleagues who were trapped in the fire when the dorm went ablaze in September.
The 12-year-old initially managed to climb through the window sustaining no injuries as the fire got intense. After escaping, he realised that a majority of his colleagues had not managed to come out and it was at that point that he decided to go back and save them.
‘’At the time of the incident, I was asleep and I did not know what was happening. I was woken by the intense heat that I felt. I saw others running and it was at that time that I decided to follow them not knowing what was going on,’’ Karinga told NTV after the incident.
The pupil recounted saving two colleagues but had not been able to trace one survivor by the time he gave the interview.
‘’When I went in I found some boy covered in blankets and asked him to help me with his torch as I helped him escape, as we escaped, I asked him to move through the window. We picked another colleague who as we tried to go through the window,” Karinga narrated.
“I don’t know when he was taken by the teacher, I then jumped after which I don’t know where he went to,’’ he added.
Fire erupted at the one of the school’s dormitory on September 5 this year, tragically killing 21 boys and injuring over a dozen others.
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