- Form Four students at Utumishi Girls Academy gathered for a prayer service ahead of KCSE exams, remembering classmates lost in a dormitory fire.
- Teachers and administrators urged candidates to remain focused and resilient, drawing strength from the memories of the seven departed classmates.
- Parents, leaders, and Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat joined the ceremony, offering prayers and solidarity as candidates prepare for national examinations.
Form Four candidates at Utumishi Girls Academy gathered on Thursday 30 July 2026 for a special prayer service as they intensified preparations for this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations, with the memories of classmates lost in a tragic dormitory fire dominating the occasion.
The candidates will sit the national examinations without seven of their classmates who died in the inferno that claimed 16 lives two months ago, a tragedy that continues to cast a shadow over the school.
The emotional ceremony, presided over by the school’s patron and Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, brought together students, teachers, parents and leaders to pray for the candidates and remember those who lost their lives before completing their secondary education.
During the service, learners paid tribute to their departed classmates through songs and reflections, recalling the journey they had shared since joining the school and the dreams they had hoped to achieve together.
School leaders urged the candidates not to allow the tragedy to derail their academic ambitions, encouraging them to remain focused as they enter the final phase of KCSE preparations.
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Utumishi Girls Academy Captain Abigail Wanjiku said the memories of the seven Form Four candidates had become a source of strength, inspiring the class to work hard and succeed in the examinations.
Principal Rufina Nkonge and teacher Joseph Ogacha echoed the message, calling on the students to remain resilient and determined despite the painful loss suffered by the school community.
Addressing the gathering, Deputy Inspector General Lagat acknowledged that the fire had left deep emotional scars on both learners and staff, but challenged the school to draw strength from the tragedy as it continues rebuilding and supporting the affected families.
Gilgil MP Martha Wangari was among leaders who attended the prayer service, joining the school community in honouring the 16 students who perished in the fire while expressing support for the candidates as they prepare to sit their final secondary school examinations.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
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