Kenyan authorities have arrested eight students suspected of involvement in a deadly fire at a girls’ boarding school that killed 16 students and injured dozens more, police said on Friday.
The blaze broke out early Thursday morning at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School in Gilgil, located in Nakuru County in west-central Kenya. According to officials, 79 students were also injured in the incident.
Police investigators said preliminary findings point to suspected arson. Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations stated that the eight students were identified as “persons of interest” linked to the planning and execution of the fire attack and are currently in police custody.
Education Minister Julius Ogamba said early investigations revealed that some teachers had allegedly been warned about possible plans by students before the fire but failed to take preventive action.
The minister also cited serious safety failures at the school, including overcrowded dormitories and a locked emergency exit during the fire, which may have worsened the tragedy.
Following the incident, the Kenyan government dissolved the school’s board of management and announced that legal and disciplinary action could be taken against staff found negligent in their duties.
School fires have repeatedly occurred in Kenya over the years, with some linked to student unrest over strict discipline and poor living conditions.
In one of the country’s deadliest school fire disasters, 67 boys were killed in 2001 at Kyanguli Secondary School near Nairobi in a fire blamed on arson. Another boarding school fire in Nyeri County in 2024 claimed the lives of 21 students.
Authorities say investigations into the latest tragedy are ongoing.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: