Tragedy Strikes: Nine Students in Custody as Dorm Fire Claims 16 Lives, Sparks Safety Outcry in Kenyan Schools

BY MARK MABUSI

A Naivasha court has ordered that nine Utumishi Girls students suspected in connection with a deadly dormitory fire, which claimed 16 lives, remain in custody for 21 days as investigations proceed. Police are intensifying their inquiry, analyzing forensics, recording witness statements, and reconstructing the event timeline.

The tragedy has sparked national concerns about school safety standards and emergency preparedness. The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) criticized systemic failures in the education sector, blaming issues like overcrowding and rushed student transfers for compromising safety in boarding institutions.

KUPPET emphasized that teachers should not be held responsible for the incident, stating that staff had no prior knowledge of any fire-related events. They called for urgent reforms to address long-standing safety gaps. This incident adds to a troubling history of school fires in Kenya, including those at Hillside Endarasha Academy in 2024 and Moi Girls Nairobi in 2017, highlighting the urgent need for improved safety measures in boarding schools.