16 Students Killed in Kenya Girls’ Hostel Fire -

A fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Kenya’s Nakuru County killed 16 students and left 79 others hospitalized in the early hours of Thursday.

The blaze broke out shortly before 1:00 a.m. at the school, located about 120 kilometers north of Nairobi. Education Minister Julius Migos Ogamba confirmed the death toll at the scene but did not give the ages of the victims.

The affected dormitory was left with shattered windows, blackened walls, and a crumpled corrugated iron roof. Parents were still being informed by health workers mid-afternoon as bodies were being identified.

Leila Matura, 52, said her 18-year-old daughter was missing. “We went to the hospital to see if she is there, she is not there. So they are telling us, she is not around, she is among the missing,” she told AFP. “Whether she is dead or alive, we do not know. I’m hopeless.”

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Another mother said her 17-year-old daughter survived after jumping from a window but broke both legs. “Thank God she is strong. It is every mother’s nightmare,” she said.

The school is linked to the National Police Service, and most students are children of officers. A firefighter at the scene said the flames burned for about 45 minutes before being extinguished due to the mattresses inside.

President William Ruto described the incident as an “unimaginable tragedy” on X, adding that the government’s thoughts were with the families of the victims.

Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire. School fires have been a recurring problem in Kenya, where boarding schools are common. A 2024 dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy killed 21 boys, and officials have since closed around 350 schools for failing safety standards.