Court orders mental, age assessment for eight Utumishi Girls murder suspects

The High Court in Kibera has ordered that the eight students charged with the murder of 16 fellow students at Utumishi Girls Academy undergo mental and age assessments before taking plea in the case.

During a virtual court session on Friday, the trial judge Diana Kavedza directed that the examinations be conducted over the weekend to determine whether the suspects are mentally fit to stand trial for the capital offence of murder and to establish their ages.

The eight suspects, who are being held at Kabete Juvenile Remand Home, followed the proceedings virtually from custody and were not presented in open court.

While addressing the accused, the judge formally informed them of the charges they face but deferred the taking of plea pending the outcome of the assessments.

"You are charged with the murder of 16 girls at Utumishi Girls Secondary School. You are not required to plead to the charges for now," the judge told the suspects.

The court directed that the psychiatric evaluations establish whether the accused persons are mentally fit to plead and participate in the trial. The age assessments will also determine their legal status before further proceedings.

The judge ordered that the suspects be escorted for both examinations immediately, with the reports expected to be filed before the next court appearance.

The matter will be mentioned on July 1, 2026, when the court will receive an update on compliance with its directions and issue further orders on the way forward.

The case stems from the deaths of 16 students at Utumishi Girls High School, an incident that has attracted widespread public attention.

Earlier, the High Court directed that the proceedings be conducted away from media coverage because the accused are minors.

Only accredited family members, lawyers and other parties to the case are permitted to follow the proceedings in line with the court's directions.