Kenya Arrests 8 Students Over Dorm Fire That Killed 16 at Girls School
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Kenya Arrests 8 Students Over Dorm Fire That Killed 16 at Girls School
15 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 29
Eight girls were detained as persons of interest in a suspected arson attack at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, where a dormitory fire killed 16 students and injured 79.
Investigators said CCTV footage and witness interviews linked the students to the planning and execution of the blaze, which erupted shortly before 1 a.m.; charges could come as soon as Tuesday.
Julius Ogamba, Kenya's education minister, said two teachers who were warned about the suspected plot will face disciplinary action, and the school's management was dissolved.
Safety failures deepened the toll: the dormitory was overcrowded and one exit was locked, while some students escaped by jumping from windows and seven were airlifted to Nairobi for specialized care.
The disaster has revived scrutiny of Kenya's school fire risks after a 2020 audit found widespread safety gaps; similar dormitory fires killed 21 children in 2024 and 67 students in 2001.
Sixteen students died behind locked doors. Is this a case of student arson or predictable institutional neglect?
After a fatal fire revealed locked doors and teacher inaction, why were only students arrested for the tragedy?