15 Students Killed in Kenya School Dormitory Fire

15 Students Killed in Kenya School Dormitory Fire

At least 15 students have been confirmed dead following a devastating overnight fire at Utumishi Girls Academy, a boarding school in Gilgil, Nakuru County, central Kenya. The fire broke out around 1:00 a.m. local time on Thursday, May 28, 2026, while students were asleep in a dormitory block housing approximately 220 students .

Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi confirmed the deaths, with some media reports putting the death toll at 16 . Over 100 students have been hospitalised with injuries, according to health officials, as rescue and emergency response efforts continue . The injured were rushed to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Gilgil and surrounding medical facilities for treatment and assessment .

Police commander Masoud Mwinyi described the incident as “a sad and distressing situation” while speaking to distraught parents and crowds gathered outside the school . Firefighters from multiple agencies, including local and national emergency units, worked through the night to contain the blaze and evacuate students from the affected dormitory .

Some students sustained injuries after jumping from the upper floor of the dormitory while attempting to escape the blaze, according to witnesses . Wambui Nderitu, whose niece is a student at the school, told the BBC: “Some of those at the top floor had to jump out, that’s why they are injured.” She added that her niece survived but suffered a broken leg .

Mwinyi said some students fled into nearby areas during the chaos and were still being traced as of Thursday morning. “As we speak, our officers are combing the area because some students fled in shock and fear during the night,” he said . The school has been cordoned off, with only parents being allowed inside the compound .

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that the fire was reported at approximately 3:30 a.m., prompting an immediate deployment of first responders, ambulance crews, and psychosocial support personnel . The National Police Service, working alongside the Kenya Defence Forces, Ministry of Education, Interior Ministry, the County Government of Nakuru, and other emergency teams, continues with search, rescue and support operations .

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Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat is reportedly at the school leading rescue and emergency response efforts . Authorities have yet to establish the cause of the fire, but criminal investigators and forensic experts have been deployed to the scene to determine the origin of the blaze .

This tragedy comes amid a worrying rise in school fire incidents across Kenya in recent weeks, with police saying several schools have experienced unrest, strikes and destruction of property, leading some institutions to temporarily close. The incident has reignited national concern over safety standards in boarding schools, particularly regarding fire preparedness, emergency exits, overcrowding, and compliance with safety regulations .

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, with several deadly incidents reported in recent years. Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties .

In September 2024, at least 21 boys died after a fire tore through a dormitory at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, one of the country’s deadliest school fire disasters in recent years . President William Ruto declared three days of national mourning following that incident.

In 2017, another dormitory fire at Moi Girls High School in Nairobi killed 10 students, with investigators later concluding the blaze had been started intentionally . Kenya’s deadliest school fire in recent history occurred in 2001 when 67 students died in a dormitory fire in Machakos County.

The Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) has previously called for regular mandatory inspections of all public and private schools nationwide to assess their compliance with safety standards and enhanced safety regulations for boarding schools to avert such tragedies . The church has also petitioned the government to adopt recommendations of various task forces that have investigated school fires in the past .

A 2020 audit revealed that many schools were ill-prepared for fire emergencies, lacking essential equipment such as functioning extinguishers and alarms . The Ministry of Education’s Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya outlines specific requirements, including that dormitory doors should be at least five feet wide and open outward, emergency exits must be clearly labeled, and fire extinguishing equipment should be available and fitted with alarms .

The Ministry of Education is currently conducting mandatory nationwide inspections of all public and private schools to evaluate their adherence to the guidelines outlined in the Safety Standards Manual for Schools in Kenya .

Frantic parents streamed to the school gates in large numbers as news of the tragedy spread across Gilgil and neighbouring areas. Many arrived to find confusion and fear, uncertain whether their children were among the victims. Wambui Nderitu described the scene: “When we arrived at the school we were told to queue. Most of us were so worried because we had heard some students had died and others were injured and in hospital” . She later found her niece alive but with a broken leg sustained while jumping from the dormitory’s upper floor.

As search-and-rescue operations continue, authorities are working to account for all students and support affected families during this difficult time . Further updates are expected as rescue operations conclude and investigations continue.