Premium
Utumishi fire: MPs mull abolishing boarding schools
Parents take photographs of the ruins of the dormitory following an overnight fire at the Utumishi Girls' Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru county, Kenya May 28, 2026.
As part of the solution to fire incidents in secondary schools, members of parliament are now calling for the abolition of boarding schools and a rethink of the government’s 100 percent transition policy.
Debating the latest fire incident at Utumishi Academy in Gilgil where 16 learners perished, the lawmakers said that the Ministry of Education should reconsider the role of boarding in modern society, while also criticising the government for forcing the transition without providing schools with the necessary infrastructure.
Kisii Woman Representative Dorice Donya claimed that the increase in deaths in schools is due to boarding schools.
“We should not have boarding schools because we have had more deaths because of these boarding schools. You all remember, anytime our schools open, we are told a certain bus has caused an accident, causing safety issues in all directions for our learners.” Ms Donya said.
Emuhaya MP Omboko Milemba pointed out that there is something fundamentally wrong with the architecture of boarding schools, hence they should be abolished.
“By the way, there is something wrong with the boarding schools; let’s do away with them,” Mr Omboko said.
He also pointed out that the opaque nature of how the recent Grade 10 was done, where there was no limit, has also piled pressure on schools in the 100 percent transition to secondary schools.
“There is something wrong with the intake policy which has made boarding schools to be congested,” Mr Omboko said.
Marakwet East MP Kangongo Bowen said it is time the country re-looked at the boarding schools pointing out developed countries have a small number of such schools.
“In developed countries, such schools are very few or not there at all,” Mr Bowen said.
Marsabit Woman Representative said it is unfortunate that the country has lost very young people through fire incidents in schools.
“As a nation, we need to address the issue of boarding schools so that we come up with clear strategies to protect our children from such incidents,” Ms Waqo said.
However, Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo said fire witnessed in schools may not necessarily be attributed to boarding schools nor demonstrators who burn properties during demonstrations but a deeper problem ailing not only the young people but also Kenya as a country which can be looked at deeply and keenly.
Igembe North MP Julius Taitamu said the Utumishi fire incident shows the high level of moral decadence in society, an indication that the social fabric in the society is wanting.
Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo said the 100 percent transition without proper infrastructure that has caused overcrowding in schools needs to be re-looked at.
“When you look at the school, which is a high-end one, the dormitory was congested; there were beds on the corridors, there were beds next to the door; this 100 percent transition is part of the problem,” Dr Amolo said.
“We have all failed our children who perished. We failed them through the government, we failed them through policies and even as parliament, we are part of those who failed them. We must collectively apologise,” He added
Three of the 16 students who lost their lives in the deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Senior School.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula accused parents of abdicating their roles in instilling discipline into their children, leaving the role to be played by schools and the internet.
“Parents feel once they have given their children smartphones, the problem is over, but is even the introduction of a bigger problem. There is hardly any parent who sits with their children to teach them the dos and don’ts of life,” Speaker Wetang’ula said.
Suba South MP Caroli Omondi said the incidents in schools are an indication of the collapse of morals in society, saying it is time to introduce nationhood science as a subject in schools.
The move by MPs will not be the first attempt in abolishing boarding schools in the country.
In 2022, then Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Belio Kipsang announced plans to abolish the boarding system from Grade 1 to Grade 9.
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.
Those supporting the existence of boarding schools have argued that some children come from dysfunctional homes, hence boarding schools provide a safe environment for their studies.
The proponents also warn that if boarding schools are abolished, the future of many children, especially those rescued from early marriages or domestic violence, often by their parents or step parents risk being ruined.
There are also total orphans with no suitable homes or accommodation and have nowhere to go; hence, boarding schools offer them a safe haven to study.
Follow our WhatsApp channel for breaking news updates and more stories like this.
