Kalonzo demands urgent action on school fires after Utumishi Girls tragedy

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

Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called for urgent action to stop recurring school dormitory fires after at least 15 students died at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil.

The blaze broke out in the wee hours of Thursday, May 28, killing students in their dormitory.

In a statement, Kalonzo urged political leaders attending the National Prayer Breakfast to move beyond condolences and address safety failures in schools.

"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," said Kalonzo.

"They were daughters, sisters and friends; precious girls full of dreams, full of promise, full of life," he added.

Kalonzo said leaders would be judged by the action they take after the tragedy.

"Let us honour these young lives not merely with tears and tributes, but with action that ensures no other family endures this unbearable pain," adedd Kalonzo.

The fire drew an outpouring of public anger, with Kenyans questioning why dormitory blazes continue despite previous investigations and reforms.

"We must find permanent solutions to these persistent dormitory fires. It's a shame we keep on losing our young children because of things that could have been prevented," said Frank, a social media user.

Another user, Duncan Otiz, called for investigations into the latest incident.

"It's really sad to take your child to school only to come back to you as a corpse," said Otz

The latest tragedy has revived memories of some of Kenya's deadliest school fires, including the 2001 Kyanguli Secondary School dormitory fire that killed 67 boys in an arson attack.

Other deadly incidents include the 2017 fire at Moi Girls High School that killed 10 students and the September 2024 Hillside Endarasha Academy dormitory fire in Nyeri County that left 21 boys dead.

Investigators have linked some past school fires to arson, overcrowding, electrical faults and poor emergency exits.