White caskets line Gilgil Stadium in heartbreaking Utumishi Girls requiem mass

At Gilgil Stadium on Friday, grief hung heavily in the air as 15 white caskets slowly entered the field, drawing sobs from families and silence from mourners who had gathered for the requiem mass of Utumishi Girls Academy students killed in a dormitory fire that continues to shake the country.

One after another, the caskets were carefully lifted from hearses and placed under large tents set up for the service, each marked with flowers and a portrait of a young life lost too soon. Parents and relatives broke down on sight, some unable to stand as the reality of the tragedy sank in.

The stadium was turned into a space of shared sorrow, with counsellors, emergency teams and officials from the Kenya Red Cross moving through the crowd to support grieving families, survivors and students still struggling to understand the scale of the loss.

The 15 coffins were arranged in a solemn row at the centre of the venue, creating a painful reminder of the fire that struck the school on May 28, leaving 16 students dead and 79 others injured.

The tragedy has kept the nation on edge as investigations continue, with nine students still in police custody.

Among those present were First Lady Rachel Ruto and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna, who joined families, students and school officials in the emotional farewell that came just over two weeks after the incident.

Inside the tents, silence often replaced words as mourners tried to process the loss of daughters, sisters and friends whose dreams were cut short in the dormitory blaze.

Utumishi Girls Academy School Captain Abigael Wanjiku delivered a heartfelt message that captured the deep pain felt by students who shared their daily lives with the deceased.

“As students, we have lost more than classmates, we have lost sisters, friends, partners and companions who shared our dreams, laughter, our hopes for the future. Their absence is a voice that words cannot adequately describe; And the pain of losing them is one that we carry for a long time.”

“Speaking during the requiem mass on June 12, 2026, Utumishi Girls Academy School Captain Abigael Wanjiku paid a deeply emotional tribute to the 15 girls who died in the dormitory fire, saying students had lost far more than classmates. She said they had lost sisters, friends and companions who shared their dreams and hopes, leaving a painful void that words cannot capture and that will remain in their hearts for a long time”

She further extended her message of solidarity to bereaved families, saying the school community stood with them in grief and would continue to honour the memory of the students.

The requiem mass ended in lingering sorrow as families remained beside the caskets, holding onto memories and struggling with a loss that many said was impossible to explain.

President William Ruto said the country shared in the pain of the bereaved families, offering condolences and support during the difficult moment.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil,"