Deadly Fire at Kenyan Girls’ School Claims 16 Lives, Injures 79
In 2024, another dormitory tragedy at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, which resulted in 21 fatalities, led to promises of widespread safety audits and prosecutions. However, the status of these safety measures remains uncertain.
A devastating fire tore through a girls’ dormitory in Kenya early Thursday, claiming the lives of 16 students and leaving 79 others injured in its wake. The tragedy unfolded at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, located approximately 120 kilometers north of Nairobi, as reported by local officials.
This catastrophe is the latest in a series of school fires that have plagued Kenya, a country where boarding schools are prevalent—a system reminiscent of colonial missionary and British educational influences. Education Minister Julius Migos Ogamba addressed the media, stating, “We have 16 fatalities. It’s an unfortunate incident,” though he withheld details on the victims’ ages.
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An Agence France-Presse (AFP) journalist on the scene described the haunting aftermath: shattered windows, charred walls, and a twisted corrugated iron roof bore testimony to the blaze’s ferocity. As the afternoon progressed, health workers worked to identify the deceased, informing parents awaiting news. Leila Matura, 52, a heartbroken mother, revealed to AFP that her 18-year-old daughter was still missing. “We went to the hospital to see if she is there, she is not there. So they are telling us she is not around, she is among the missing,” Matura expressed in despair. “Whether she is dead or alive, we do not know. I’m hopeless,” she added.
Another anguished mother, who declined to be named, shared that her 17-year-old daughter was hospitalized with broken legs from escaping through a window. “Thank God she is strong. It is every mother’s nightmare,” she remarked.
The school, affiliated with the National Police Service, primarily serves children of officers. Firefighters battled the inferno for 45 minutes, hindered by combustible materials inside. A firefighter, identified only as Fred, described the scene, stating the fire’s magnitude upon their arrival.
‘Unimaginable tragedy’
Authorities are probing the cause of the fire. Meanwhile, President William Ruto extended his condolences on X, describing the event as an “unimaginable tragedy.” Kenya’s history with school fires includes accusations of student arson. In 2018, a report cited 63 cases of arson in schools, reminiscent of the 2001 Machakos dormitory fire that claimed 67 lives.
In 2024, another dormitory tragedy at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County, which resulted in 21 fatalities, led to promises of widespread safety audits and prosecutions. However, the status of these safety measures remains uncertain.
On Thursday, the Education Minister announced the closure of about 350 non-compliant schools since 2024 to uphold safety standards. “We will continue inspections to ensure that our schools meet the safety standards in force,” the Minister affirmed.
