Kenya disbands school board after arson arrests in fatal fire
Education Minister cites safety violations and staff negligence as government takes disciplinary action following tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy.
Eight female students have been arrested on suspicion of arson following a fire at the Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School in Gilgil, west-central Kenya, which killed 16 people and injured 79. The Directorate of Criminal Investigation identified the arrested girls as persons of interest in the planning and execution of the suspected attack, confirming they are currently in police custody.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday, prompting an immediate response from authorities. Kenyan Education Minister Julius Ogamba stated that preliminary investigations revealed two teachers were informed of the students’ alleged plans but failed to intervene. Ogamba confirmed that the government has disbanded the school’s board of management and will pursue legal and disciplinary action against staff found to have neglected their duties.
Minister Ogamba highlighted significant safety violations at the institution, citing overcrowding in the dormitories and a locked emergency exit as critical failures. These regulatory breaches have contributed to the government’s decision to dismantle the school’s leadership structure as part of the broader response to the disaster.
Survivors have described the chaos within the building. Student Hilda Njeri, who sustained injuries to her leg and lower back, told Al Jazeera that the fire was too large to pass through due to a lack of water to extinguish it. She stated that students were forced to jump through windows to escape, adding that the principal took the injured students to hospital and covered all treatment bills.
The incident has drawn parents to the school site, where frustration has mounted over the lack of information from authorities. Al Jazeera reporter Catherine Soi noted that families have been waiting since early morning, with some unable to locate their children while others have loved ones still being interrogated by police.
This tragedy follows a pattern of school fires in Kenya, including a 2024 blaze in Nyeri County that killed 21 students and a 2001 arson attack at Kyanguli Secondary School that claimed 67 lives. The motive for the current fire remains under investigation, though authorities are treating it as a suspected attack.
