Key facts
- A memorial service was held in Gilgil, Kenya, for 16 students who died in a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy.
- Police suspect the fire, which occurred on May 28, was caused by arson, with nine students arrested.
- The students allegedly used a matchstick and paraffin to light a mattress in the dormitory exit.
- The incident has drawn attention to broader school safety issues in Kenya, with hundreds of schools having closed due to unrest and numerous fires reported this year.
- Kenyan first lady Rachel Ruto attended the memorial service.
Hundreds of mourners gathered in Gilgil, Kenya, for a memorial service to honor 16 students who perished in a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy last month. Police have arrested nine suspects, who are reportedly students at the school, and believe the blaze was started by lighting a mattress in the dormitory exit with a matchstick and paraffin. No motive has been disclosed.
The incident has highlighted persistent school safety issues in Kenya, where congested dormitories, lack of emergency exits, and insufficient firefighting equipment often exacerbate tragedies. The Kenya Red Cross has responded to 37 school fires since the start of the year. The presiding bishop at the memorial service questioned the ongoing suffering caused by such fires, referencing a 2001 incident where 67 boys died in a dormitory blaze.
During the service, students from Utumishi Girls Academy sang hymns, and the school captain, Abigael Wanjiku, remembered the deceased as "friends, study partners, teammates and companions." A mother representing the parents called for accountability and justice, while reassuring surviving students that their safety remains a priority. The Education Ministry had previously suspended the principal of Utumishi Girls Academy for non-compliance with fire safety regulations and closed over 300 schools following another fatal fire earlier in 2024.