Kakamega High School closed indefinitely after dormitory fire
Western
By
Benard Lusigi and Mary Imenza
| Jun 05, 2026
Kakamega High School has been closed indefinitely following a fire that gutted one of the school's dormitories on Friday night, prompting the school management to send students home as investigations begin into the cause of the incident.
The fire broke out at around 8:00 pm while students were reportedly in class.
Emergency response teams, including the county fire brigade and police officers, rushed to the scene and managed to contain the blaze before it spread to other buildings.
No injuries were reported, although property of unknown value was destroyed, while a few items were salvaged from the affected dormitory.
In a communication sent to parents and guardians, Chief Principal Elphas Aliva Luvaso directed them to pick up their children from the school on Saturday morning.
READ MORE
Kenyan students scoop historic Grand Prize at Huawei's ICT global competition
Business activity dips in May amid deepening economic crisis
Tech firms rush to put small shops online as market race intensifies
Kenyan elected to global intellectual property enforcement body
East Africa sector players share insights on how AI is affecting job skills
Ruto's new revenue hunt shifts to landowners
MPs slash State House budget, pump billions into welfare
Worry for transporters as Sh320m Maungu lorry park woes deepen
Can backyard extensions cure global housing shortage?
Luxury electric car imports rise amid record fuel price hikes
Police have launched investigations to establish the cause of the fire.
Kakamega High School, a national school with a student population of more than 2,000, becomes the latest learning institution to be affected by suspected arson incidents that have recently been reported in schools across the country.
The incident comes just days after the Kakamega Law Courts declined an application by the prosecution to continue detaining eight Mukumu Boys High School students who are under investigation over an alleged plot to torch their school.
In a ruling delivered on Tuesday, Resident Magistrate Steve Wasonga said the prosecution had not provided sufficient grounds to warrant the continued detention of the minors after their statements had already been recorded.
Meanwhile, Mukumu Boys High School and Mukumu Girls High School were reportedly closed indefinitely on Friday amid rising tensions linked to fears of school unrest and arson incidents.