Tharaka University is counting heavy losses after a fierce fire gutted its administration block on Wednesday night, September 24, 2025. The inferno, which broke out around 9 p.m., engulfed the building in towering flames, destroying offices, a media lab, and crucial documents worth millions of shillings.
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Images and videos captured by witnesses showed the entire block consumed by orange flames as helpless students and staff watched from a distance. Luckily, no injuries or fatalities were reported.
Preliminary reports suggest the blaze may have been sparked by an electrical fault, though investigations are ongoing to confirm the actual cause. The fire has drawn sharp criticism from residents and students who faulted the Tharaka Nithi County emergency services for their delayed response, which allowed the flames to spread unchecked for hours.
Founded in 2017 as a constituent college of Chuka University, Tharaka University received its charter in 2022, making it one of Kenya’s youngest fully-fledged universities. The destruction of its administration block now deals a huge blow to its operations and reputation, coming just three years after gaining full university status.
This latest tragedy adds to a troubling trend of fires sweeping through Kenyan universities. In January, the University of Nairobi’s Gandhi Wing was damaged by fire, while last year Kenyatta University’s Old Moi Library lost an entire floor in another blaze. The University of East Africa, Baraton, also suffered a dormitory fire in October 2024.
The Tharaka fire has reignited concerns about safety measures and disaster preparedness in institutions of higher learning. Students and staff are now anxiously waiting for the university’s management to outline recovery plans as investigations continue.
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