At least 16 students have died in a fire that tore through a girls' boarding school in central Kenya early on Thursday morning. The blaze erupted at around 1am in a dormitory of the Utumishi Girls School in Nakuru County and quickly spread, local police said.
Gilgil police reported that at least 74 students were also injured. Firefighters and police officers worked to control the blaze and evacuate other students. Police were informed of the incident at around 4.30am by the school principal, Joycelene Muraguri.
The burnt Meline Waithera Block dormitory was housing 220 pupils, most of them studying in Grade 10, aged between 15 and 17. One guardian described seeing students desperately trying to escape, with some jumping from the upper floor, resulting in injuries.
President William Ruto conveyed his condolences on X, saying: 'Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters... No words can truly ease the pain of losing young lives filled with promise.' Opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka called on the government to take concrete action to protect students and prevent similar tragedies.
Fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools, often caused by arson or electrical faults. Kenya's deadliest school fire occurred in 2001, killing 67 students. In 2024, 21 students died in a school fire in central Kenya, prompting three days of mourning.
