NAIROBI-(MaraviPost)-At least 16 students were killed and 79 injured after a fire tore through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in the early hours of Thursday, 28 May 2026.
The blaze broke out just after midnight while 220 students were asleep in the dormitory, according to police and the Kenya Red Cross. 4e36
Emergency responders arrived to find the dormitory block already engulfed in flames, forcing many students to jump from windows to escape.
Education Minister Julius Ogamba confirmed the death toll and said investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire.
Survivors told first responders that a student had allegedly lit a mattress with a match, though officials said the cause remained unconfirmed.
The Kenya Red Cross deployed first responders, ambulance crews, and psychosocial support teams to assist the affected students and families.
Police Commander Masoud Mwinyi described the scene as “sad and distressing” and said officers were combing the area for students who had fled in panic during the night.
The school, which has more than 800 students, is managed and sponsored by the Kenya Police Service, and many of the pupils are daughters of police officers.
School fires are a recurring problem in Kenya, with more than 100 recorded in 2024 alone, many linked to arson protests over discipline and conditions.
In 2024, a fire at a primary boarding school in nearby Nyeri County killed 21 students, and in 2017, 10 students died in a Nairobi school blaze.
President William Ruto’s government had promised a safety audit of all schools and to prosecute violators after the 2024 tragedy.
Authorities said they would investigate whether the school’s fire safety manual had been followed.
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