National Tragedy as 16 Students Die in Utumishi Girls Academy Dormitory Fire
A devastating fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County has left the nation in mourning after at least 16 students lost their lives and 79 others sustained injuries following a late-night dormitory blaze.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Thursday, with reports indicating that the inferno started at around 12:45am to 1:00am while students were asleep inside one of the school dormitories.
According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba, emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to the scene, with injured students rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment. Authorities confirmed that 71 of the injured students had been discharged while several others remained hospitalised in stable condition.
The school, which hosts more than 800 students and is managed by the Kenya Police Service, mainly serves daughters of police officers.
As panic spread during the fire, some students reportedly jumped from upper floors in desperate attempts to escape the flames. Witnesses and parents alleged that one of the emergency exits had remained locked during the incident, worsening the tragedy and trapping students inside the burning dormitory.
A parent who spoke outside the school claimed that only one emergency door was opened while many students on the upper section of the dormitory were left stranded, forcing some to leap from windows to save their lives.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Education CS Julius Ogamba, and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin later convened a crisis meeting at the school as investigations intensified into the cause of the deadly blaze.
Authorities have cautioned against speculation, although preliminary reports from first responders suggested that survivors had mentioned the possibility of a student lighting a mattress before the fire spread rapidly through the dormitory. Officials say investigations are still ongoing and no official cause has been established.
The Kenya Red Cross, police officers, and county disaster response teams participated in rescue operations and psychosocial support efforts for affected families. Parents and guardians were also directed to use a government emergency hotline for information regarding their children.
The tragedy has reignited concerns over fire safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools, with leaders and education stakeholders demanding urgent reforms. Kalonzo Musyoka called on the government to implement immediate safety measures and improve emergency preparedness in learning institutions across the country.
Kenya has witnessed several deadly school fires over the years, including the 2001 Kyanguli Secondary School tragedy and the 2017 Moi Girls School fire, both of which claimed dozens of lives and exposed weaknesses in school safety system
