Kenyan official: Students deliberately set deadly dormitory fire

Kenya’s interior Cabinet secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, revealed Sunday that CCTV footage from the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire shows students intentionally starting the blaze. The fire, which occurred on May 28, killed 16 schoolgirls and injured 79 others. Eight students have already been arrested in connection with the tragedy.

‘I struggled to sleep’

Murkomen said he personally reviewed the surveillance footage obtained by investigators and was deeply disturbed. “I felt very sad. I even struggled to sleep, because we could see the kids who were coming to light the fire,” he stated. The footage appears to show students entering the dormitory and igniting the fire despite knowing that fellow students were asleep inside. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) continues to examine the motive and circumstances, using witness interviews, CCTV, and forensic evidence.

Reignited debate on school safety

The fire at the girls’ boarding school in Gilgil, about 120 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, is among Kenya’s deadliest school fires in recent years. Authorities have not yet announced formal charges. The tragedy has reignited debate over school safety, student welfare, and discipline in boarding institutions.