A devastating fire has swept through a dormitory at a girls’ boarding school in central Kenya, killing at least 16 students and injuring dozens more in one of the country’s deadliest school tragedies in recent years.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil town, about 120 kilometres northwest of Nairobi. Kenyan authorities said the blaze tore through a dormitory housing more than 200 students while many of the girls were asleep.
Kenya’s Education Minister Julius Ogamba confirmed that at least 16 students died in the inferno, while 79 others were injured. Officials said most of the injured suffered burns, smoke inhalation, and injuries sustained while trying to escape the flames. At least 71 students have reportedly been discharged from hospital after treatment.
Emergency crews, firefighters, police officers, and the Kenya Red Cross rushed to the school as terrified students fled the burning building. Witnesses described scenes of panic, with some students reportedly jumping from upper floors to escape.
Authorities said the cause of the fire has not yet been established, and investigations are underway to determine whether the school complied with Kenya’s fire safety regulations and emergency preparedness rules.
The government-owned boarding school is sponsored by the Kenya Police Service, and many of the students are daughters of police officers. Security officials sealed off parts of the campus as rescue and identification efforts continued. Distraught parents gathered outside the school awaiting news about their children.
Kenyan President William Ruto expressed condolences to the families of the victims and ordered authorities to provide support to survivors and affected families. Government officials also pledged a full investigation into the disaster.
The tragedy has renewed concerns over safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools, where deadly dormitory fires have occurred repeatedly over the years. In 2024, 21 students were killed in a school fire in Nyeri County, while previous incidents at schools such as Moi Girls High School and Kyanguli Secondary School also caused major loss of life.
Education and safety experts say overcrowded dormitories, locked exits, poor electrical systems, and weak enforcement of safety standards continue to put students at risk in many Kenyan boarding institutions.
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