By Michelle Ndaga
Tharaka University is counting heavy losses after a fierce night fire on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, reduced its administration block to ruins, destroying key offices, vital records, and equipment.
The blaze, which broke out shortly before midnight, quickly engulfed the building, consuming the Vice-Chancellor’s office, ICT and IT departments, the media lab, and other critical administrative units.
Adjacent lecture halls and facilities were also threatened as flames spread.
No casualties were reported, but students and staff accused emergency services of responding late and with inadequate resources. Witnesses said some fire engines arrived without sufficient water, hampering containment efforts.
Preliminary investigations point to an electrical fault as the likely cause, though authorities have launched a full probe.
The National Police Service and county disaster teams are working with university officials to assess the extent of damage and safeguard unaffected areas.
The destruction is a major setback for Tharaka University, one of Kenya’s youngest public institutions. Established in 2017 as a Chuka University campus and chartered in 2022, it has been a growing hub of higher education in Tharaka-Nithi County.
The university administration said contingency measures are being put in place to ensure continuity of academic programs as reconstruction and recovery plans begin.
