Parents and kin of the 16 girls who died at the Utumishi Girls' Academy fire tragedy will wait until June 17, 2026 to be given the bodies for burial after a joint memorial service.
The parents on Saturday left Naivasha Funeral Home a disappointed lot after being denied to take away the remains of their children for burial despite identifying them.
Tension and grief engulfed the facility after parents received DNA analysis reports that identified the bodies of their children.
Families expressed their frustration with the decision which they said will prolong their mourning and suffering. John Muiruri, father of Nicole Mitchele Muiruri, had arrived from Nairobi hoping to pick up the remains of his 13-year-old daughter only to learn of the new development.
Red Cross volunteers and Homicide detectives remove the bodies of the 16 students from Utumishi Girls Senior who perished in a dormitory inferno on May 28, 2026.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi| Nation Media Group
He disapproved of the committee’s decision to disallow families to take the bodies until after the joint memorial mass.
"We came here hoping to be informed when we would take the bodies for the necessary preparations and internment. Unfortunately, we were disappointed because when we arrived, we were given incomprehensible explanations, including how bodies could not be released until June 17," said the father of two.
He noted that the family was deeply disappointed because all the necessary procedures, including DNA tests, post-mortem examinations, and cause of the fire had already been established.
"Since all the necessary tests and procedures have already been completed, we believe the bodies of our children should be released to us so that we can find some peace and begin to come to terms with our loss. We have already accepted what has happened, and I do not understand why there continues to be back-and-forth on the matter," said Mr Muiruri.
Echoing the sentiments, Pastor Dan Parisoi, a relative of Purity Naisula, a Form Four student, noted that the long wait for a requiem mass to be held, is difficult to comprehend.
"The continued delay is hurting and traumatizing to us and it is also becoming expensive. The support being offered by the government is minimal and does not cover the costs families are already incurring," he said.
Government Pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu said all 16 bodies recovered from the fire were subjected to post-mortem examinations, with DNA samples collected at the Naivasha Funeral Home and submitted to the Government Chemist for analysis.
He explained that since some of the victims had sustained severe burns that made visual identification impossible, samples from the remains were submitted to the Government Chemist and matched against reference samples obtained from biological parents.
"The samples were taken to the Government Chemist, DNA profiling was conducted, and we have received positive results. We have now matched the burnt remains to their respective identities through DNA analysis," said .
Dr Joseph Kimani said DNA profiling yielded positive results, enabling investigators to correctly match the remains to the deceased.
"We took body blood swabs, as well as tissue and bone samples from the victims because of the state of the bodies. On the flip side, we also took reference samples from biological relatives, more specifically biological mothers and biological fathers, so that we could match the DNA generated from the remains with the samples obtained from the living reference relatives, a process that has been effectively done within a week," he said.
Government pathologist, Dr Titus Ngulungu, addresses the media at a past event.
Photo credit: Mercy Koskey | Nation Media Group
"We were able to generate DNA profiles from all the remains. There were bodies that were extremely burnt and charred, but we were still able to generate DNA from them and effectively match the remains with their biological relatives," he said.
He added that they have already handed over the report to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further action.
Addressing concerns over the date for the joint requiem mass, a Multi-Agency Committee member and Gilgil sub-county Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Stanley Langat Mutai said consultations were underway following complaints from parents seeking an earlier date.
Mr Mutai said committee members had convened a virtual meeting on Saturday evening to discuss the matter and determine whether the requiem mass could be brought forward.
"After hearing the concerns raised by parents, I have conducted consultations and we have scheduled a virtual meeting at 7.00 p.m. today where members will discuss whether the date can be moved back from June 17 to sometime next week. We ask all parents whose children are still at the morgue to remain patient until they receive a report from our virtual meeting," he said.
During the Saturday’s exercise grief engulfed the morgue as relatives struggled to come to terms with the loss as heart-wrenching wails pierced the air with family members breaking down in tears, some collapsing under the weight of their grief.
Several mourners, overcome by shock and disbelief, were assisted by volunteers from the Kenya Red Cross and other counsellors. The families were also counselled before they could be allowed to view the bodies.
Once the forensic expert from the government chemist arrived, families were one by one called into the mortuary with 17-year-old Zuhura Rama's family going in first.
This was so because the family had requested to take the Grade 10's body to accord her Muslim burial rites.
After identifying Rama, the distraught family, sent for Naivasha Imam, Sheikh Adam Ali, who confirmed she was being taken back home to Kwale County.
The imam faulted government procedures for delaying the burial, saying the hold-up ran contrary to Islamic traditions that require the deceased to be buried without unnecessary delay.
While acknowledging that the postponement may have been due to administrative arrangements, he urged authorities to fast-track such processes for Muslim families in such instances.
The tragedy which occurred on the night May 27 and May 28 left 16 students dead and 79 others injured when Meline Waithera dormitory went up in flames.
At least 9 students were arrested in connection with the arson attack. They were committed to Nakuru Children’s remand home after the court granted Police 21 days to conclude investigations
