CS Ogamba: 16 students confirmed dead, 7 admitted after dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls in Gilgil

At least 16 students have been confirmed dead following a tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, early Thursday morning.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said 79 students sustained injuries during the incident and were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment.

“Out of the 79 students who were injured, 71 have been treated and discharged, while seven remain admitted,” Ogamba said.

He added that authorities are still in the process of identifying the victims.

“We have 16 fatalities whose identities will be identified. The process of accounting for all students is ongoing,” he said.

The fire broke out at around 1 a.m. while students were asleep, rapidly engulfing one of the dormitories and causing panic within the school compound.

According to police, the affected dormitory housed about 220 learners drawn from Grade 10, Form Three and Form Four classes.

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Emergency responders, firefighters and rescue teams rushed to the scene and managed to contain the blaze after several hours.

Ogamba said the cause of the fire remains unknown and investigations are underway to establish whether the school complied with safety regulations.

The CS noted that hundreds of schools across the country have previously been flagged for failing to meet required safety standards.

“We are waiting for investigations to determine whether the school safety manual was followed,” he said, adding that about 350 schools had earlier been found not to be compliant with safety requirements.

He added that the ministry has unveiled a hotline number 1199 to which parents are encouraged to keep on reporting especially the ones who left with their kids when they came earlier. The hotline number will also be available for counselling.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government would continue engaging affected families and provide official updates on the tragedy.

He added that the government would issue another press statement as investigations continue.

The incident has plunged the school community and the nation into grief and renewed concerns over safety standards in boarding schools across the country.

By Obegi Malack