Ogamba orders indefinite closure of Utumishi Girls Academy

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba ordered the closure of the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County after a fire outbreak killed 16 students.

Speaking at the scene during an assessment of the incident, Ogamba said the blaze started at around midnight and responders contained it at about 3 a.m.

Seventy-nine students were injured and taken to hospital, where 71 were treated and discharged. Seven remain admitted.

“From the eight that were admitted, we have seven that are currently admitted and one was picked by the parent from the hospital,” Ogamba noted.

The school had 815 students enrolled. Ogamba said 808 were present at the time of the fire while seven were away for various reasons.

Crime Scene Investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are probing the cause of the fire.

Ogamba said the Ministry of Education safety manual remains in force and inspectors have closed about 350 schools since the 2024 Hillside Endarasha fire for failing safety standards.

“We will continue doing audits and ensuring that our schools meet the safety manual that is already in place and which we keep updating,” he explained.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen joined the briefing and conveyed condolences, noting that authorities initially considered delaying the death announcement until identification was complete.

“This creates another trouble for us, which is the anxiety among the parents trying to know who of them has lost their loved one,” Murkomen observed.

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika said county officials are working with national agencies to support families and urged calm during investigations.

Gilgil MP Martha Wangari said the school, founded in 2020, has begun pairing students with parents to support identification and DNA sampling for the deceased.