All injured Utumishi students discharged after fatal Gilgil dorm blaze

All the students who were admitted to hospital after the devastating Utumishi Academy dormitory fire in Gilgil have now been discharged, marking a key update in a tragedy that claimed 16 lives and left dozens injured as investigations point to suspected arson.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed on Wednesday that the last group of 79 injured girls, who had been receiving treatment in various hospitals including Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, have fully recovered and been allowed to go home.

The May 28 inferno, which tore through the school’s dormitory and killed 16 girls, has since become the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation after authorities linked it to deliberate actions.

Ogamba also revealed that nine girls remain in police custody following preliminary findings that the fire was not accidental. Investigators, he said, reviewed CCTV footage that allegedly shows the suspects setting fire to the upper floor of the dormitory, identified as the Meline Waithera Block.

He condemned the incident, warning that it highlights a troubling rise in unrest and indiscipline in learning institutions across the country.

Since the tragedy, Ogamba said 204 boarding secondary schools have been shut down indefinitely after cases of student unrest, some involving the burning of dormitories and other school property.

“The government is taking the matter of unrest and general indiscipline in our schools with utmost seriousness. Whatever grievances that our learners may have, there can never be justification for causing death and destroying property,” he said.

He further noted that 59 of the affected schools had already resumed learning by Wednesday, with more expected to reopen as stability returns.

Ogamba added that early ministry findings show that 98 per cent of senior secondary schools have remained unaffected and continue normal learning, with most disruptions concentrated in boarding institutions.

“Most of the schools that are affected are boarding senior schools, with day senior schools largely proceeding with their activities uninterrupted,” Ogamba said.

Speaking at Jogoo House in Nairobi, the CS called for a wider societal response to the rising cases of student indiscipline, urging collaboration between schools, parents and other stakeholders.

He particularly urged parents to be more involved during school breaks, saying stronger family engagement is key to shaping responsible learners.

“It’s our duty to nurture our children in the values and virtues that grow them into law-abiding and responsible citizens that will continue to contribute positively to the development of our country and not to destruction.”

Ogamba also announced the formation of a multi-stakeholder team to address the increasing cases of unrest in schools across the country, as the ministry moves to contain the trend.