MEDIA BARRED FROM TRIAL OF MINORS ACCUSED IN DEADLY KENYA SCHOOL FIRE

Fri 26 June 2026:

A Kenyan High Court on Friday barred the media from covering proceedings as eight girls accused of killing 16 fellow students in the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire appeared virtually for the start of their murder case.

The order was issued during a virtual hearing before the High Court in Kibera, Nairobi. The accused, who are minors, followed the proceedings from the Kabete Juvenile Remand Home and were not brought to open court.

Lawyers also presented arguments on whether the girls should undergo mental health assessments before the case proceeds.

The suspects face 16 counts of murder over the May 28 dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, a town about 118 kilometers (73 miles) northwest of Nairobi, which killed 16 students and injured dozens of others.

Prosecutors successfully applied to have the matter transferred from Naivasha to Nairobi, citing security concerns and the need to protect the accused amid intense public interest and outrage over the deaths.

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Earlier this week, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions approved the murder charges following investigations into the fire, which authorities alleged was deliberately started.

Excluding the media from the proceedings is likely to attract further public attention to a case involving minors and one of Kenya’s deadliest school fires in recent years.

The Utumishi Girls tragedy reignited debate over school safety, student discipline, and mental health support in Kenyan boarding schools.

The court is expected to issue further directions on the matter as proceedings continue on Friday.

Nearly 50 fires have torn through Kenyan schools so far this year, leaving 16 girls dead, more than 100 institutions temporarily shuttered, and a government under pressure to explain how a crisis this large went unaddressed.

The worst fire happened on May 28, when a dormitory at Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Nakuru County caught fire at night.

WHY KENYAN STUDENTS ARE SETTING THEIR OWN SCHOOLS ON FIRE

Sixteen girls lost their lives. Nine students are being investigated for their possible involvement. One survivor, 15-year-old Tasha, escaped only because her friends broke down a door that had been locked from the outside, which broke fire safety rules. She said students had talked about striking because of poor conditions at the school.

Experts believe these fires are not random. Psychologist Catherine Gachutha, former chair of Kenya’s Counseling and Psychological Association, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that teenagers involved in these incidents often do not think about the consequences.

There are also deeper structural issues. Kenya’s boarding school system, which dates back to British colonial times, keeps children away from their families for long periods. Many schools are overcrowded, lack enough funding, and are not well prepared for emergencies. One school principal in western Kenya, who spoke anonymously to AFP, said some administrators enroll too many students to make more money, forcing children to sleep in cafeterias and hallways.

Earlier this month, President William Ruto’s government said it will not give financial help to schools affected by fires, so parents will have to cover the costs.

However, the government has promised to establish a task force to investigate why these fires are occurring.

The government has made similar promises in the past. After a dormitory fire killed 21 boys in 2024, the education ministry told 348 boarding schools to switch to day schools for safety. It is still unclear if this order was ever carried out.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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