Prosecutors to Charge Students With Murder After Dormitory Blaze
Kenya’s Directorate of Public Prosecutions announced on Tuesday that prosecutors are preparing to charge pupils who allegedly started a fire in a dormitory at Utumishi Girls’ School in Gilgil, killing 16 and injuring dozens.
Sixteen students, aged 15 to 18, perished when mattresses were intentionally set aflame near an exit on the upper floor of a dorm that housed 202 pupils. The emergency exit was locked and failed to open, forcing residents to flee through a single doorway.
Investigators, after reviewing CCTV footage and conducting interviews with staff and students, identified eight pupils as persons of interest in the planning and execution of the fire. The eight are now in police custody and are slated for formal charges.
"The suspects will face sixteen counts of murder arising from the incident," the DPP office said, though no exact timeline for court proceedings was disclosed. The students are expected to appear in Naivasha court this Wednesday.
The DPP has warned that rising arson cases in schools across the country will be met with strict accountability. Education Minister Julius Ogamba highlighted breaches in safety protocols at the school, including overcrowding and a locked exit door.
Kenya has witnessed a series of deadly school fires in recent years, with allegations of arson stemming from disgruntled students and accords on living conditions.
