An Integrated IoT and Forensic Framework for Institutional Arson Mitigation in Boarding Facilities

Abstract

Institutional arson within Kenyan secondary schools represents a recurring, destructive crisis that claims student lives, decimates infrastructure, and undermines educational continuity. Despite historical tragedies such as the Kyanguli, Moi Girls, and Utumishi Girls Academy disasters, systemic vulnerabilities persist due to delayed detection, obstructed egress routes, and evidentiary deficits. This paper proposes an IoT-based architecture to address these gaps, outlining anticipated benefits in detection and forensic integrity. Applying Robert K. Merton’s Strain Theory, we analyze how structural pressures—including authoritarian administrative practices, overcrowded dormitories, and acute examination anxiety—drive students toward deviant coping mechanisms. To dismantle these vulnerabilities and resolve persistent evidentiary gaps, we present a novel 4-tier IoT ecosystem. This infrastructure integrates pre-ignition Photoionization Detectors (PIDs) for volatile hydrocarbon vapor tracking, multi-spectral edge-AI computer vision for zero-visibility ignition profiling, and fail-safe electromagnetic maglocks for automated, congestion-aware egress. Crucially, the architecture is anchored by hardware-enforced cryptographic logging (TPM 2.0) to secure an unassailable digital chain of custody for courtroom prosecution. This technical telemetry feeds into a newly defined Governance and Policy Layer, transforming raw sensor data into auditable compliance metrics for national child protection frameworks. Finally, a holistic stakeholder operational framework translates these socio-technical mechanisms into actionable governance, positioning Kenyan educational facilities as global test cases for systemic policy reform, institutional resilience, and proactive life-safety engineering.