A devastating fire at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Kenya, has resulted in the deaths of 16 students, with dozens more injured and hospitalized.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, approximately 120 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, as students were asleep in their dormitories.
Education Minister, Julius Ogamba, confirmed that emergency responders managed to extinguish the flames by around 3:00 AM, but not before significant destruction had occurred.
Seventy-one injured students were treated and discharged from local hospitals, while seven others remain hospitalized for further care.
Parents and relatives have gathered anxiously at the scene, awaiting updates about their loved ones.
The police are actively engaged in search-and-rescue operations, although the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The Kenya Red Cross has deployed emergency teams to provide assistance.
Ogamba reported that the fire originated on the first floor of a dormitory, which was completely consumed by the flames. As investigations continue, he announced that the school would begin releasing students to their families throughout the day.
Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, expressed his condolences to those affected by the tragedy.
”This is a very anxious time for everyone involved,” he stated. “As we account for the 16 confirmed fatalities, I urge Kenyans to unite in support and prayer for the bereaved families.”
Police Commander, Masoud Mwinyi, described the situation as “sad and distressing” while addressing parents outside the school.
He noted that past incidents of fires in Kenyan boarding schools often stemmed from arson or accidents linked to poor safety practices, such as overcrowded dormitories and blocked exits.
The fire erupted around 1:00 AM local time and engulfed a dormitory housing approximately 220 students.
At the time of the incident, over 800 children were present on campus. Mwinyi confirmed that some students fled into nearby areas during the chaos and are still being located.
The school has been cordoned off, allowing only parents access to the premises. Leah Serem, whose daughter is in her final year at the academy, expressed her shock upon hearing about the fire.
Traveling from Nakuru, about 40 kilometers away, she shared her anxiety over her daughter’s safety, recounting the overwhelming sadness that filled the compound upon their arrival.
Kenya has a troubling history of school fires, with one of the deadliest occurring in 2001 when 67 students lost their lives in Machakos County due to arson.
More recently, a dormitory fire in central Kenya claimed 21 lives in 2024.
An assessment by the Ministry of Education revealed that many schools fail to meet safety standards, often featuring dormitories with barred windows and inadequate exits, raising concerns about student safety across the nation.
Congestion was frequently observed in schools as well.
After the evaluation, the ministry announced the immediate closure of “348 schools.”
In November 2021, the education ministry responded to a parliamentary committee seeking further details on incidents of school arson, revealing that there were 126 reported cases from January to November 2020.
According to research cited by Reuters from 2018, there were 60 recorded instances of arson that year.
By: Magdalene Agyeiwaa Sarpong