Eight students arrested in Kenya after suspected deadly school arson attack

Eight students alleged to have been involved in a suspected arson attack at a Kenyan girls’ school that killed 16 pupils have been arrested, Police say.

The fire in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km north-west of capital city Nairobi, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory which had 135 bunk beds.

After interviews with students and staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, eight pupils at the school were identified as “persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution” of the fire, the National Police Service said in a statement.

Investigations are continuing into the exact cause of the blaze.

Police said the students were detained for questioning after being traced to their homes and brought back to the school, while others who had remained in the area were also tracked down and detained.

The eight were among 30 students who were initially recalled to the school by detectives investigating the deadly fire.

Regarding the aftermath of the fire, Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated that there had been multiple breaches of safety measures at the school, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door.

“In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory and one exit door was locked, contrary to the prescribed safety requirements,” he said.

He dissolved the school’s board of management and ordered action against the head teacher.

The minister said appropriate disciplinary and legal steps would be taken against anyone found to have failed in their duties.

As investigators continued their work at the site, parents and relatives anxious for news of their loved ones were seen in tears. Security has been heightened around the school as growing crowds of people demand answers and accountability.

“I arrived at the school at 07:00 and three hours later I don’t have any information,” Njuki Nthimba, who is looking for his niece, told reporters on Friday morning.

“Some officers came from the school and asked the parents to arrange themselves in three groups. Group one is for parents whose children have been arrested in relation to the incident, group two, parents whose children died, and group three, parents who don’t know where their children are.

“I handed them my niece’s name, and I am now waiting to be given information about her.”

Samuel Githua who came to the school to look for his sister, said

“I don’t know where my sister is, we’ve been told some children are in hospital, some in the mortuary. Our mother died when we were young, so I have taken care of her like a father and mother. She has been my child,” he added.

Relatives have been at the school as the investigation continues

As well as the fatalities, the fire resulted in injuries to 79 pupils; some as a consequence of jumping from the first floor.

Seven of those injured were transferred to Nairobi on Thursday for specialised medical care, while the rest have been treated and discharged.

The bodies of those who died have been taken to the nearby mortuary for preservation and DNA identification.
Kenya has had a long history of school fires; just two years ago at least 21 people died in a dormitory fire in central Kenya.

Many fires reported in boarding schools have been the result of arson, with disgruntled pupils, angry about the discipline and living conditions, accused of being responsible, while others were caused by accident.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.