Nine students appeared in a Kenyan court on Tuesday over an arson attack that killed 16 girls at Utumishi Girls School in Naivasha. The High Court is expected to rule on Wednesday on whether the girls can be detained for a month pending further investigations.
The fire on May 28 swept through a dormitory housing 202 students. Investigators said the school matron failed to open an emergency door, forcing all students to escape through a single exit. The blaze left 79 wounded.
The girls are accused of planning and carrying out the attack. Interrogations revealed the fire was started by lighting a mattress at the dormitory’s exit using a matchstick and paraffin. No motive has been disclosed. CCTV footage showed six students starting the fire moments before students woke up.
Authorities said two teachers were aware of the students' plans but failed to act. School administrators face disciplinary action for safety violations. DNA test results to identify charred bodies are expected on Wednesday.
Since the incident, five more school fires have occurred across Kenya, with the Kenya Red Cross responding to 37 school fires this year. School fires are common in Kenya due to overcrowded dormitories and lack of firefighting equipment.
