Devastation as country mourns 16 students who died in a dorm fire

Parents overcome by emotions at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil on May 28, 2026. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

A devastating dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, has left 16 students dead and scores of others injured.

The incident sparked intense public grief and outrage, as national leaders, led by President William Ruto, and citizens joined the devastated families in mourning.

Families are demanding urgent answers and stricter safety regulations to prevent such preventable tragedies from recurring.

At the school, the scene of the fire incident, wails pierced the air as devastated parents streamed into the compound.

Some of them were barefoot, and others still in their night gowns, desperately searching for their daughters after a deadly dormitory fire claimed the 16 young lives and left dozens injured.

While others clung to each other in tears, others paced anxiously, phones pressed to their ears, hoping for answers that were painfully slow to come.

Others broke down upon spotting the debris of the Meline Waithera dormitory block, where young girls were caught by the fire while deep in their sleep at around 1 am on Thursday.

Parents arrive to pick up their children at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, on May 28, 2026. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

For hours, confusion and fear gripped the school as traumatised students reunited with their families while others remained unaccounted for.

Police officers struggled to control the emotional crowds as grief-stricken parents watched in disbelief at the destroyed remains of the one-storey dormitory.

Access to the burnt structure was sealed off as investigations began.

The dormitory caught fire at around 12.45 am while students were asleep.

The block housed 220 students drawn from Grade 10, Form Three and Form Four classes. Six of the deceased learners had been identified.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, who visited the school, confirmed that the inferno had destroyed the dormitory.

Ogamba was accompanied by the school patron and Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, among others.

Kenya Red Cross volunteers and homicide detectives retrieve bodies of students who died in a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls High School in Gilgil, Nakuru County, on May 28, 2026. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

The school has a population of 815 girls, with 808 students present at the time of the incident; 7 were away at home.

“Out of the 808 girls, 79 were injured and rushed to various hospitals within Gilgil. So far, 71 have been treated and discharged, seven remain admitted in hospital, while a parent picked one up,” said Ogamba.

“We have 16 fatalities whose identities will be established in the course of the accounting process,” he added.

The CS said investigations into the cause of the fire were ongoing and no conclusion had yet been reached. Following the tragedy, the school was closed indefinitely.

Asked whether the school had complied with fire safety regulations and preparedness measures, Ogamba said authorities would first establish whether the institution had adhered to the required safety manual.

“The government will continue conducting audits in schools across the country to ensure they comply with safety standards,” he said. 

CS Murkomen, who also visited the school, mourned the learners and commended the multi-agency teams that responded to the emergency.

Panic reportedly erupted after the fire broke out, with survivors recounting scenes of confusion and desperation as students struggled to escape from the burning dormitory.

Some students in the upper section of the building reportedly jumped through windows in an attempt to save their lives. The windows The Standard observed were narrow and grilled on one side.

Residents faulted the lack of firefighting capacity within the area, saying the tragedy exposed major gaps in emergency preparedness.

Francis Mungai, a resident, said government facilities around the area lacked functional firefighting equipment despite the presence of security installations.

“Anti-stock theft police officers guard the school, but there are no firefighters stationed here. Even with the Kenya Forest Service and Kenya Defence Forces facilities around, there was no fire engine available. The fire engine that responded came all the way from Naivasha,” said Mungai.

“We urgently need a fire station in Gilgil,” he added.

Devastated parents at Utumishi Girls High School in Gilgil, Nakuru County, on May 28, 2026. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika described the incident as heartbreaking, saying the county government stood in solidarity with the affected families and the school community.

“This is a very sad moment for all of us. We stand with the parents, teachers and students during this difficult time. What is important now is to establish the cause of the fire,” she said.

Gilgil MP Martha Wangari said there would be a need for firm action once investigations are completed to prevent a recurrence of such tragedies in schools.

One of the parents, Susan Kohoto, said she received a distressing phone call from a fellow parent at around 5 am, informing her of the incident and urging her to rush to the school.

She said they were initially locked out, but were later allowed into the compound at around 7:30 am, where security officials addressed them.

She said she was fortunate to find her daughter, though traumatised and shocked.

”We brought our children here knowing it is a police institution and that they will be taken care of. I am wondering where they were when the fire broke out. How come they did not get any intelligence?” She paused.

President Ruto and Deputy President Kithure Kindiki have mourned the students who died in the dormitory fire, as investigations into the cause of the tragedy continue.

Ruto described the incident as an unimaginable tragedy that had robbed the nation of young lives filled with promise.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil,” Ruto said.

“No words can truly ease the pain of losing young lives filled with promise, hope, and dreams for the future. As a nation, we mourn with the parents, guardians, teachers, and fellow students who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” he added.

The President said the government’s immediate priority was to rescue those affected, ensure the injured receive treatment, and support families as the probe continues.

“Our immediate attention is focused on the rescue of those affected, the treatment of the injured, and support for their families, while investigations continue into the cause of the fire,” Ruto said.

Kindiki said he learnt “with deep shock and profound sorrow” that 16 girls had died, while scores of others were injured.

“To lose young girls, full of hope and dreams for the future, in such a cruel and painful way is a stark reminder of how fleeting life on earth is,” Kindiki said.

He conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and wished those injured a quick recovery, saying the government would support the school community.

“The Government stands with all those affected and is committed to supporting the school community to come to terms with this tragedy,” he said.

Wiper leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has mourned the students who lost their lives following a tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, describing the incident as heartbreaking and devastating for the nation.

In a statement, Kalonzo said the country had lost precious girls, full of dreams, promise, and life.

Kalonzo conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, saying no words could adequately comfort them during such a painful moment.

“With a heart weighed down by profound grief, I join all Kenyans in mourning the precious lives of the young girls taken from us in the devastating fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil. They were daughters, sisters, and friends; precious girls full of dreams, full of promise, full of life,” he said.