15 Students Feared Dead as Midnight Fire Guts Girls’ Boarding School

ByNewsmakers

May 28, 2026 #dormitory fire Kenya, #Gilgil school blaze, #Kenya police investigation, #Kenya school fire, #Kenya student deaths, #Nakuru boarding school tragedy, #Utumishi Girls Academy fire

Matilda Omonaiye/

At least 15 students are feared dead after a devastating fire swept through a dormitory at a girls’ boarding school in Kenya’s Nakuru County, triggering frantic rescue operations and a search for missing pupils.

The tragedy occurred in the early hours of the morning at Utumishi Girls’ Academy Senior School in Gilgil, where the fire reportedly broke out around 1 a.m., engulfing one of the school’s dormitories.

Emergency responders, including police officers, firefighters and rescue teams, raced to the scene as terrified students fled the burning building.

Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi said rescue teams were still combing through the charred remains of the dormitory and surrounding areas to account for all students.

County police official Masoud Mwinyi described the incident as “distressing and saddening” as anxious parents gathered outside the school seeking information about their children.

“As we speak now, we are combing the area. Out of fear and anxiety, many students moved outside, and this happened at night. Our team of nearly fifty officers is searching the surrounding areas to establish who may still be out there,” Mwinyi said.

Authorities said several students sustained injuries and are receiving treatment, although the exact number of casualties has yet to be confirmed.

Police warned against the spread of rumours and misinformation as investigations continue.

“One of the biggest challenges we are dealing with right now is speculation and misinformation. When such incidents happen, everybody forms opinions, people begin guessing, and even fabricated stories start circulating,” Mwinyi added.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.
Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched a full-scale investigation into the incident, with forensic teams deployed to the scene.

In a statement, the Kenya National Police Service confirmed that Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat had arrived at the school to coordinate rescue and emergency response efforts.

The police said they were working alongside the Kenya Defence Forces, the Ministry of Education, the County Government of Nakuru, the Kenya Red Cross and other emergency agencies to support affected families and account for all students.

The latest tragedy has revived concerns about safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools. In 2024, a dormitory fire at a primary boarding school in Nyeri County claimed the lives of 21 pupils, one of the deadliest school fire disasters in the country’s recent history.

Rescue operations and investigations were still ongoing as of the time of filing this report.