A fire tore through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls' Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Kenya's Rift Valley, shortly after midnight on Thursday, killing 16 students and injuring 79 others, according to government officials. The blaze, which burned for more than two hours at the police-sponsored boarding school located approximately 120 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, marks the latest deadly school fire in the East African nation.
Education Minister Julius Migos Ogamba confirmed the casualty figures at the scene, noting that 71 of the injured students had already been discharged from hospitals. Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen stated that the school, which serves over 800 students—many of them daughters of police officers—is managed by the Kenya Police Service. Investigators are questioning surviving students and reviewing whether the school's fire safety protocols were followed, though the cause remains undetermined.
Frantic parents gathered outside the smoke-stained, damaged dormitory, some confronting police while awaiting news of their children. "Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters," President William Ruto posted on X, calling the incident an "unimaginable tragedy." The Kenya Red Cross deployed tracing and psychosocial support teams to assist affected families and students receiving treatment at various hospitals.
Witnesses described chaos as flames spread rapidly from an upper section of the building. Eunice Mureithi, whose daughter escaped, told NTV that the fire "started from an upper dome and spread all over," trapping some students while others fled through windows. Parent Elizabeth Rioba expressed relief at finding her daughters safe but shared that one remains traumatized after watching a friend become stuck while escaping.
School fires are a recurring crisis in Kenya, with over 100 recorded in 2024 alone. Researchers attribute many blazes to student protests over harsh discipline and poor conditions, though electrical faults are also cited. This incident follows a 2024 fire in Nyeri County that killed 21 students and echoes the country's deadliest school fire in 2001, when 67 boys died at Kyanguli Secondary School in an incident authorities labeled arson. A 2017 National Crime Research Centre report linked school fires to exam stress, lengthy terms, and copycat behavior facilitated by smuggled phones.
Officials urge the public to avoid speculation. Parent representative Bernard Omwandho appealed for calm, hoping questioned students might help clarify what transpired.