The family of 17-year-old Zuhura Rama Higa, one of the 16 students who died in the Utumishi Girls Academy fire tragedy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, has finally received her body for burial after the completion of the DNA identification process.
The body left Naivasha Sub-County Hospital Mortuary on Saturday, June 6, 2026, ahead of burial in Kwale County later the same day in accordance with Islamic burial traditions.
The development comes just days after the family publicly appealed to the national government to expedite the DNA identification process and release the bodies of the victims to allow them to bury their loved ones with dignity.
Family’s plea answered
Speaking earlier at her home in Mkwakwani, Kwale County, Zuhura’s mother, Asha Omar Mazuri, had expressed frustration over the delay in the identification process, saying the prolonged wait had deepened the family’s grief.
“I urge the government to hasten the process and release my daughter’s body to us. We want to bury her at home and give her the send-off she deserves. Without that, I will not find peace,” she had said.
Mazuri had also opposed any proposal for a mass burial, insisting that her daughter be buried at her ancestral home in accordance with family and religious traditions.
Dreams cut short
Zuhura, a Form Three student, was described by her family as disciplined, respectful, and ambitious.
Her mother said she dreamed of becoming a neurosurgeon and worked hard in school to achieve that goal.
“She constantly told me that she wanted to become a neurosurgeon one day. She worked hard in school because she believed in her dream,” Mazuri said.
The grieving mother also recalled that Zuhura had called home on the afternoon before the tragedy and spoke with all her siblings, a conversation that later became one of the family’s most treasured memories.
Search for answers
The family said they learned of the fire in the early hours of the morning and spent hours seeking information while hoping their daughter had survived.
“Deep in my heart, I kept telling myself that my daughter was not okay. I held onto hope until the very end, but the news that followed shattered us completely,” Mazuri said.
Throughout the identification process, the family maintained its call for justice and accountability.
Call for justice remains
Mazuri urged authorities to conduct thorough investigations and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
“Those involved should be held accountable so that justice is served and similar incidents do not happen again,” she said.
Zuhura’s uncle, Higa Hasibu, had also appealed for the family to be allowed to bury their loved one with dignity after individual identification.
“Every family deserves the opportunity to bury their loved one with dignity. We want to give Zuhura a proper farewell and honour her memory,” he said.
READ ALSO: Kwale family appeals for speedy release of Utumishi Girls victim’s body
With the completion of the DNA identification process and the release of the body, the family now begins the difficult task of laying the teenager to rest while continuing to seek answers over the tragedy that claimed her life and those of 15 other learners.
By Omar Shaban and Joseph Mambili
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