A fresh push for Kenya to reconsider the structure of boarding schools has emerged after Utumishi Girls Academy founder Edward Mbugua said the deadly dormitory fire that claimed 15 students should force the country into hard questions about how and where learners are educated.
Speaking in Gilgil during a requiem mass for the victims, he said the tragedy exposed deeper gaps in school planning, infrastructure, and overcrowding driven by rising enrolment.
Mbugua said the loss should not only be mourned but should also open national reflection on whether learners need to travel long distances to access quality education, or whether stronger schools should be built within local communities. He argued that overdependence on boarding schools has placed heavy strain on institutions and created safety risks that must now be addressed.
"We should sit down in dialogue and find the way forward," Mbugua said.
"We should have good schools within our areas. If there were good schools in that area, there would be no need of taking your child from the farthest end."
He said improving nearby schools would reduce pressure on national institutions and limit the need for students to stay far from their families. According to him, the current system often pushes learners to travel across counties in search of better opportunities, leaving many schools overwhelmed.
"Nobody challenged the government to give them time so that we could build enough classrooms and enough dormitories," he said.
Mbugua also pointed to the effects of the 100 per cent transition policy, saying enrolment growth has in some cases outpaced available facilities, leaving schools struggling to cope with increased numbers.
He proposed a rethink of how boarding facilities are used, suggesting they could be repurposed to support other forms of training where necessary.
"Those dormitories can be converted to workshops for training," he said.
He questioned why students should be forced to move far away for education when similar standards could be developed closer to home.
"Why should a child travel from Migori to study elsewhere?" he posed.
The founder also acknowledged shared responsibility in the events that led to the tragedy, saying both himself and school management must reflect on decisions made as enrolment grew.
"Myself, I'm to blame. I started the school," he said.
"The POM of the school was also to blame."
He added that concerns about capacity and infrastructure were not adequately addressed even as student numbers increased at the institution.
Mbugua said Utumishi Girls Academy was established in 2018 following pressure from parents seeking a girls’ school modelled on Utumishi Boys Academy, with its first intake admitted in 2020 after approvals and construction were completed.
The May 28 fire left 16 students dead and dozens injured. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba earlier confirmed that 79 learners were affected, with several receiving treatment in hospital.
As investigations continue, Mbugua urged education stakeholders to treat the incident as a wake-up call on safety, planning, and the long-term direction of Kenya’s education system, warning that failure to act would only repeat similar tragedies.
"Without that, we'll be repeating coming here, talking, and then without any progress," he said.