Gilgil, Kenya. A fire tore through a dormitory at a girls’ school in Kenya’s Rift Valley overnight, killing at least 15 students, police said on Thursday. An unknown number of students were also injured.
Fire at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School
The Gilgil Police Station said in a report seen by Reuters that the fire broke out at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru County. The cause of the fire was not known.
Footage aired by Citizen Television showed broken window panes and smoke-stained walls.
Police response
Masoud Mwinyi, a senior police commander, told reporters at the school that 50 officers were combing areas around the school for students who may have fled when the fire broke out.
“Of that shock and fear and anxiety, many people went out, and it was at night,” he said.
School fire history in Kenya
Kenya has a long history of school fires, with more than 60 cases of arson in public secondary schools recorded in 2018 alone, according to government data. Researchers have found that many of the fires were set by students protesting harsh discipline and poor conditions.
Previous fatal fire
In 2024, a fire killed 21 students at a primary boarding school in nearby Nyeri County. The cause of that fire has not been conclusively established.
