Inferno in our schools: Kenya's long trail of dormitory deaths

The dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county that was gutted by fire at night. [Julius Chepkwony, Standard]

As we mourn the death of at least 15 students at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, we reflect on some of the darkest moments in our educational history.

1991: One of the most brutal school fires in Kenya's history occurred at St. Kizito Secondary School in Tigania.

Nineteen girls were killed when boys, having short-circuited the school's electricity to cause a power outage, attacked their dormitory.

The girls, seeking refuge in a dormitory they believed to be safe, were later brutally assaulted and killed.

The attack involved stones and other violent means, resulting in a horrific loss of life and numerous injuries.

1998: A devastating fire claimed the lives of 26 girls at Bombolulu Girls Secondary School. The dormitory was overcrowded, housing around 130 students. It is said that one of the two doors is locked from the outside and all ten windows are barred. In memory of those lost, the school has since been renamed Mazeras Memorial Girls' School.

1999 at Nyeri High School in Nyeri: Four male senior prefects were locked in a dormitory by fellow students and set ablaze. All died.

2001: The Kyanguli Secondary School dormitory fire became Kenya’s worst school disaster, claiming the lives of 67 boys in a tragic act of arson.

In August 2012, a fire at Asumbi Girls Boarding Primary School in Homa Bay County claimed the lives of eight young pupils.

The fire, believed to be caused by an electrical fault, was exacerbated by barred windows and a locked dormitory, which prevented the girls from escaping or receiving help.

2017: A devastating fire at Moi Girls High School, set by a disgruntled Form 1 student, resulted in the deaths of 10 girls.

2024: A devastating school fire killed 21 boys and left many more injured in Kenya on September 5, 2024. The fire occurred in a dormitory housing over 150 boys, ages 9 to 14, at Hillside Endarasha Academy, a private, mixed day and boarding school with an overall student population of over 800, located in Nyeri County.

Two days after the fire, President William Ruto declared three days of mourning and instructed relevant authorities to investigate the horrific incident thoroughly. He also assured citizens that those responsible for the incident would be held to account.  

Shockingly, another fire broke out on September 7 at a girls’ boarding school in Central Kenya, and on September 8, a dormitory at Nija High School in Meru County also caught fire.

Luckily, although three girls were injured in the fire at Nija High School, no lives were lost in either incident.