Utumishi Girls students face 16 murder charges

Students linked to the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire tragedy when they appeared before Chief Magistrate Ramadhan Abdulqadir at the Naivasha Law Courts, on June 3, 2026. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard]

Eight of the nine students of Utumishi Girls linked to the fire that killed fellow learners will be charged with murder in Nairobi on Friday.

This follows a successful application by the State to have the matter transferred from Naivasha to Nairobi, citing the safety of the students, despite opposition from the families of the victims and the accused.

It also emerged that the State dropped charges against one of the girls who was accused of setting a dormitory on fire on May 26, which led to the death of 16 students.

In his ruling, Naivasha Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan stated that it was within the prosecution’s discretion to decide where to charge the accused persons.

He directed that the eight minors be held either at Nakuru or Nairobi Children’s Remand for two days before being charged on Friday.

“Though the victims are opposed to the transfer of this matter to another court, the prosecution has the right to charge the accused in a court of their choice, and it’s up to them to determine where to take the eight respondents,” he said.

The magistrate also ordered that the ninth accused be handed over to her parents. Earlier, State Counsel Emma Bosire informed the court that following investigations, the DCI had withdrawn charges against one of the students, and that they were now prepared to charge the remaining eight with 16 counts of murder.

She applied for the case to be transferred to the High Court in Nairobi, citing safety of the students, who have been in custody for 21 days.

According to Bosire, tensions and hostility towards the accused remained high, and their security could not be guaranteed in Naivasha.

“We are seeking that the eight suspects be charged with murder in the High Court in Nairobi, where their security is assured,” she stated.

However, the victims’ advocate, Mbugua Machar, opposed the transfer of the students to Nairobi, arguing that this was against the law.

He argued that the lower court did have the authority to transfer criminal cases from one court to another, but noted that this power ultimately lay with the High Court.