Push for deployment of public health officers to learning institutions

Parents and guardians walk outside the Utumishi Girls Academy following the deadly fire in Gilgil, May 28, 2026. [AFP]

The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) has called for the immediate deployment of public health officers to all schools following the tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School in Gilgil, that left 16 students dead and 74 others hospitalised.

In a statement issued on Saturday, Brown Ashira, KEHPHPU National Secretary General described the incident as a dark and heartbreaking moment for the nation.

“With 16 students confirmed dead and 74 others hospitalised, this marks a dark and heartbreaking moment for the nation,” he said.

“We pray for the quick recovery and healing of all the injured students. No parent should ever wake up to such devastating news concerning the safety of their child.”

The union said the fire exposed long-standing weaknesses in school safety systems, emergency preparedness and enforcement of public health standards.

KEHPHPU is now demanding the immediate deployment of public health officers to conduct routine inspections and enforce safety compliance in both public and private schools.

Ashira said the officers should assess emergency exits, room spacing, ventilation, sanitation, waste management, occupancy levels and fire preparedness.

“Statutory public health audits and inspections must immediately be conducted in all boarding schools and learning institutions across the country,” Ashira said.

The union also called for schools to strengthen emergency response systems, including evacuation procedures and regular fire drills for learners and staff.

KEHPHPU further urged a shift in how school health is managed, opposing what it termed the ‘‘clinicalisation of public health and environmental health functions’’ in institutions.

“Public health and environmental health are specialised preventive and enforcement functions that must be handled by qualified public health officers and environmental health practitioners, not substituted or absorbed into clinical services,” he added.

The union said Kenya must prioritise preventive systems rather than reacting after disasters occur, warning that failure to do so would continue putting learners at risk.

It also called for strict accountability, saying investigations should determine whether the affected dormitory at Utumishi Girls complied with required safety standards.