Murkomen: Possible negligence caused Utumishi inferno

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Kericho Governor Eric Mutai at the Belgut Technical Training Institute's inaugural graduation ceremony in Kericho County. [MINA]

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has said that deadly inferno at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county could have been caused by possible negligence by the administration.

This comes even as it emerged in Friday evening that interrogations of the eight students who were arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) told them that they had informed two teachers of the plot to torch one of the dormitories at the school.

“Preliminary investigations have identified eight students as persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution of the suspected arson attack. The eight have been arrested and are in police custody,” said Murkomen

DCI said that preliminary findings point to incident being an arson attack even as it emerged that exit doors had been closed form outside which prevented more students from escaping the inferno.

"There is a standard safety procedure that the school was to adhere to. One side of the  dormitory with an emergency exit door had been locked, and it's where we lost 10 students," said the CS.

He said that those found culpable will face legal action.

According to Murkomen, the seven students who were still in hospital were doing better and are out of danger.

They are receiving treatment in Nairobi where they were airlifted for specialised care.

The remains of the dead students were taken to the Naivasha sub-county Referral hospital where DNA analysis will help in identification.

Murkomen also cautioned those who are politicising the matter, saying such conduct is unbecoming of leaders entrusted with national responsibility.

 “I want to condemn in the strongest terms possible those going around trying to gain cheap political mileage from this unfortunate incident,” he said.

The institution has since been closed following an order by Education CS Julius Ogamba, who also announced that the board of management had been dissolved and the school principal, Joycelene Muraguri, would face disciplinary action from the Teachers Service Commission (TSC).

Ogamba said that Muraguri would face TSC disciplinary proceedings for failure to enforce safety standard at the institution while adding that the two tutors who failed to act  after learning of the plot would also face action from TSC.

The Thursday morning incident is being probed by Homicide detectives from DCI led by Martin Nyuguto. The detectives have since photographed the scene and recorded statements from over 20 students, the school matron, security guards and the school administration.