16 Students Die in Utumishi Girls Dormitory Fire, 79 Injured - May 2026

A devastating fire at Utumishi Girls' Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, claimed the lives of 16 students and injured 79 others, with several students hospitalized with severe injuries. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba officially declared the blaze an act of arson, leading to the arrest of eight students who are scheduled to be arraigned in court on Tuesday. Detective officers are investigating the incident, with the government pathologist Dr. Titus Ngulungu confirming that DNA identification is underway at Naivasha Funeral Home, as some student bodies were completely incinerated making identification extremely difficult. Families await DNA sampling as they try to identify victims, while questions are being raised about school safety in Kenya and whether the tragic deaths could have been prevented.