Eight Students Face Murder Charges After Fatal Kenyan School Arson
Kenya's Director of Public Prosecutions has approved murder charges against students suspected of involvement in a deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls’ School in Gilgil. The blaze, which killed 16 students and injured dozens, is believed to have been deliberately started by setting mattresses alight near an exit.
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Kenyan prosecutors have approved murder charges against students linked to a deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls’ School that killed 16 pupils and injured dozens, raising concerns over school safety and arson incidents.
The state prosecutor of Kenya is set to charge several students over the murder of their schoolmates following a suspected and deadly school attack last week.
The arson, which broke out in a dormitory at Utumishi Girls’ School in Gilgil, north-west capital, Nairobi, claimed the lives of sixteen pupils between the ages of 15 and 18 years and injured dozens.
Police later rrested eight students after suggesting that they may have been involved in starting the fire by setting mattresses alight near an exit.
The state prosecutor confirmed in a statement, “Upon careful assessment of the evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved charges against the implicated students.”
The incident, which took place on 28th May, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory that contains 135 bunk beds and houses 202 students. The fire outbreak forced students in the dormitory to flee through a single doorway after the emergency exit failed to open.
After interviews with students, staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, the police heightened that eight pupils at the school were identified as persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution of the fire
The suspects, who are being held in custody, are due to be formally charged in court, following a review of evidence gathered by investigators.
“The suspects will face sixteen (16) counts of murder arising from the incident,” the Office of the DPP said.
Meanwhile, the prosecutors did not reveal the number of student suspects to be charged or when the charges would be brought in court. However, the students are expected to appear in court in Naivasha on Wednesday.
The ODPP has expressed concern over a recent rise in cases of arson and related criminal conduct in learning institutions across the country, warning that those responsible would be held accountable.
Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated that there had been multiple breaches of safety measures at Utumishi Girls’ School, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door.
Kenya has 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 disciplinary measures 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.
