Kenya to Charge Nine Students with Murder Over Deadly School Fire That Killed 16 Girls

Kenya to Charge Nine Students with Murder Over Deadly School Fire That Killed 16 Girls

Prosecutors approve 16 counts of murder against each suspect after dormitory blaze at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil

Kenyan prosecutors are preparing to charge nine students with murder following a suspected arson attack at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km north-west of Nairobi, that claimed the lives of 16 pupils aged between 15 and 18 and injured 132 others. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) said it had approved 16 counts of murder against each of the suspects after reviewing evidence gathered by investigators into the May 28 tragedy. “Upon careful assessment of the evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions has approved charges against the implicated students,” the state prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

The suspects, who are all minors, have been in custody under a court-approved detention order as police completed their investigations. Prosecutors argued that additional time was needed to finalize forensic examinations, including DNA analysis and a review of CCTV footage. The students are expected to appear in court in Naivasha to face formal charges, with the ODPP confirming they will face “sixteen (16) counts of murder arising from the incident.”

The fire broke out in the early hours of May 28, tearing through the upper floor of a dormitory that contained 135 bunk beds and housed 202 students. Investigators allege the blaze was a case of arson, started by setting a mattress alight near an exit using paraffin and matchsticks. Tragically, the school matron failed to open an emergency exit, forcing students to flee through a single doorway. The blaze became one of Kenya’s deadliest school fire disasters in recent years, with students jumping from windows to escape the flames and some sustaining severe burns.

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After interviews with students and staff, and a forensic review of CCTV footage, police identified nine pupils as “persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution” of the fire. CCTV footage obtained from the razed dormitory reportedly showed six students starting the fire moments before students woke up. Detectives have positively identified seven students involved in the arson attack through forensic analysis of CCTV footage. The students were later traced to their homes and brought back to the school for questioning.

The ODPP has expressed concern over a recent rise in cases of arson and related criminal conduct in learning institutions across the country, warning that those responsible would be held accountable. The Kenya Red Cross reported that it had responded to 37 school fire incidents since the beginning of the year. Following the Utumishi fire, over 200 schools across the country experienced unrest, with properties worth millions of shillings destroyed.

Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated multiple breaches of safety measures at the school, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door. He dissolved the school’s board of management and ordered action against the headteacher. The ministry has since closed more than 300 schools following the tragedy. The government has also formed a multi-sectoral team to collect views that will form the basis of strategies to address emerging challenges in the education sector. The Government has announced it will not offer financial bailouts for impacted schools, putting the costs on parents, though it has pledged a taskforce to examine the factors behind school fires.

Kenya has a long history of devastating school fires. The deadliest occurred in 2001 when 67 students died in a dormitory fire in Machakos County. In 2024, a dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County killed 21 boys, prompting government promises of nationwide school safety audits. Many fires reported in boarding schools have been the result of arson, with disgruntled pupils—angry about disciplinary measures and living conditions—accused of being responsible, while others were caused by accident. Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.

Kenya to Charge Nine Students with Murder Over Deadly School Fire That Killed 16 Girls