Utumishi Girls Academy to reopen in phases one month after deadly dormitory fire

Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, where a dormitory fire broke out in the early hours of May 28, 2026. (Photo: Courtesy)

By Bashir Mbuthia
Saturday, June 27, 2026

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The learners, Nakuru County education officials say, will be temporarily housed in about 300 tents fitted with mattresses provided by the National Police Service (NPS) as the school awaits completion of a new dormitory currently under construction.

Utumishi Girls Academy will begin reopening in phases from Tuesday, June 30, marking the return of learners a month after a devastating dormitory fire claimed the lives of 16 students.

The resumption plan was communicated to parents through a notice issued by the school administration, which outlined the reporting dates for Form 4, Grade 10 and Form 3 learners.

"Greetings. Hope this finds you well. Kindly note that the dates for resumption of school are as follows: Form 4s – Tuesday, June 30; Grade 10 – Thursday, July 2; and Form 3 – Saturday, July 4," the notice read, according to The Nation.

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The school was closed on May 28 following the deadly fire that broke out on the night of May 27, destroying the Meline Waithera Block dormitory, which housed 220 students.

The incident left 16 students dead and 79 others with injuries of varying severity, prompting the Ministry of Education to suspend learning to allow investigations into the incident and provide counselling to learners affected by the tragedy.

Nine students were initially arrested in connection with the incident. Investigators relied on witness statements, confessions and CCTV footage capturing movements within the school dormitories to identify them.

They were later arraigned at a Naivasha court earlier this week, where Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramadhan approved an application by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to have the case transferred to Nairobi. The court agreed that the accused minors could be exposed to risk if they remained in the area where the tragedy occurred.

Eight of the students will be presented at the High Court in Nairobi to face murder charges. The ninth student was released after the ODPP withdrew charges against her, stating that investigations had not established sufficient evidence linking her to the arson offence.