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Tears, pain and promises as solemn service held for 15 Utumishi school fire victims
Caskets carrying the remains of the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who lost their lives in a dormitory fire during a requiem mass at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
Tears, pain and a state of helplessness punctuated the requiem Mass for 15 of the students who died last month in a dormitory fire at Utumishi Senior Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
They would have been 16, but one of the victims was buried last Sunday in Kilifi County in line with the Muslim burial rites.
At the solemn ceremony, leaders and parents called for an end to the blame game and an opening of a window for national dialogue on what is bedevilling schools, with a view to finding a lasting solution to bring an end to strikes, destruction of property and loss of lives.
Rev John Kevuva of the African Inland Church (AIC) urged parents and students to be strong during the difficult times. He also reminded them of the fragility of life while calling on Kenyans to support the affected families.
“To the students who are here, we can say you are survivors of this catastrophe but survivors must also learn something. You can be a good example. Your parents have sacrificed a lot for you so that you might be a better person in the future,” Rev Kevuva said
He wondered how many tragedies the country would have to endure before resolving school unrest.
Abigael Wanjiku, the school captain, eulogised her departed colleagues as “more than classmates, sisters, friends, study partners, teammates and companions who shared dreams, laughter and hopes of the future”.
“They will forever remain cherished members of Utumishi Academy and their memories will continue living with us. As we remember them, we celebrate the lives they lived and the impact they made. The bond we shared remains unbroken in our hearts,” she said.
Ms Grace Wacheke, who spoke on behalf of the bereaved families, urged the survivors to speak out when overwhelmed, saying that their healing journey – despite being bearable – is heavy as they are carrying visible and invisible scars.
An emotionally overwhelmed parent lies on the casket bearing the body of one of the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who perished in a dormitory fire incident a fortnight ago. This was during a requiem mass at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
Ms Rose Osoro, a parents’ representative, said that those who died were not only students but also daughters, sisters who left home with the big dream of becoming better leaders, change-makers and the pride of their communities.
First Lady Rachel Ruto, Cabinet Secretary for Education Julius Ogamba, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and senators Tabitha Karanja (Nakuru) and Edwin Sifuna (Nairobi) joined the mourners in paying their respects to the departed young souls at Gilgil Stadium where sorrow loomed large.
First Lady Rachael Ruto and Education CS Julius Ogamba at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026, during a requiem mass for the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who lost their lives in a dormitory fire two weeks earlier.
Also present were women representatives Ann Wanjiku Muratha (Kiambu), Lizah Chelule (Nakuru) and Nakuru East MP David Gikaria.
President William Ruto, in a speech read by Mr Ogamba, said the government will take measures to ensure that a tragedy of such magnitude does not occur again in Kenyan schools.
“To the affected families, the government stands beside you. To every Kenyan parent who sends a child to school, in trust, I make this promise that I will not rest until our schools are places of safety and will take every measure that no family will ever again bear such sorrow,” said the President.
Dr Ruto added that the event was not only to mourn but also to honour the girls for the joy they brought, the friendship they cherished and the future they look forward to.
“They were girls full of promise, bright, ambitious, dreaming of the women they will become and the country they will help build,” Dr Ruto said.
Mrs Ruto told parents and mourners that the day was one of reflection and to remember the children who died and that Kenya mourned with the parents and relatives of the victims while empathising with the survivors.
Nine Utumishi students remain in police custody pending trial for allegedly dousing mattresses with paraffin and setting them ablaze in the dead of the night on May 27, leading to the death of 16 of their colleagues and injuries to 79 others.
A grieving parent is overcome with emotion during the requiem mass for the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who perished in a dormitory fire a fortnight earlier. The mass took place at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
Last week, seven of the students who were admitted at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for specialised treatment were discharged, with three of them set to be confined for sometimes to wheelchairs as they recuperate at home.
Mourners gathered at the stadium early on Friday before the bodies in 15 hearses were driven in at 10:30 am, dampening an already sombre mood. Tears and pain were written on the faces of those present, while some of the overwhelmed parents and relatives had to be assisted by Kenya Red Cross Society volunteers, police officers and officers from the Nakuru disaster management unit.
An emotionally overwhelmed parent is assisted by his relatives during the requiem mass of the 16 Utumishi Girls senior School students who perished in a dormitory fire incident a fortnight ago. This is during a requiem mass at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
The white caskets carrying the remains were offloaded from the vehicles as Directorate of Criminal Investigations officers led by Homicide Director Martin Nyuguto, Kenya National Youth Service officers and Kenya Red Cross personnel took charge of the scene, arranging the coffins in rows before the ceremony kicked off.
Each of the coffins, adorned with floral wreaths, was carefully arranged as parents handed over the portraits of their children lying lifeless before them – a stark reminder they were indeed dead.
Caskets bearing the bodies of students who died in the Utumishi Girls Senior School fire at their requiem mass being at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026. In attendance are First Lady Rachael Ruto, Education CS Julius Ogamba, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and other leaders.
Family members stood motionless, staring at the coffins as they clung to the portraits. Some parents wept uncontrollably while fathers struggled to hide their sorrow, their faces etched with pain and disbelief.
A Catholic nun and a Red Cross official comfort and escort a grief-stricken relative of one of the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who died in a dormitory fire two weeks ago. The emotional scene unfolded during a requiem mass held at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
Public viewing of the bodies was not done due to the nature of the burns.
An empty table, covered with a white sheet with the portrait of Zuhura Rahma who was buried last week, was placed at the end of the coffins’ row.
Students from Utumishi, dressed casually, sat in the midst of the mourners, watching from a distance the caskets bearing the remains of the friends they once shared classrooms, dormitories and dreams with.
A section of mourners attending the requiem mass at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026 for the 16 Utumishi Girls senior School students who perished in a dormitory fire incident a fortnight ago.
The leaders present called for national dialogue to find a lasting solution to unrest in schools, loss of lives and property.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika said it was unfortunate that 204 schools have been affected by strikes, tensions and closures in the last three years, affecting 4,000 learners in the process.
The legislators present said the leadership had failed the people and there was a need for a paradigm shift in the manner in which issues affecting society and Kenyan schools were addressed.
“We should have a conversation on the unrest in schools. Here we have lost our girls whose dreams are shattered,” Ms Muratha said, adding that leaders, irrespective of their political persuasions, should meet and dialogue on the way forward in curbing unrest in schools.
Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja said: “Parents, boards of management and administrators should work together to restore sanity in schools. Disaster management in schools is an issue that has to be addressed with a need for fire engines to be available in all sub-counties. “
Senator Sifuna said the tragedy was as a result of a failure in leadership that ensured that disaster management measures were not in place.
“It (arson) has happened for far too long. Where is the leadership? For how long will Kenyans cry? I believe the people will provide a solution in the future for this,” Mr Sifuna said.
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna addresses mourners at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026, during the requiem mass for the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who lost their lives in a dormitory fire two weeks ago.
Mr Ogamba said there was a need to reflect on how citizens and their government were discharging their roles in shaping the future of children.
“This (disaster) reflects a pattern and failure by those responsible for our children. It calls us to reflect on what virtues we are inculcating in our children,” he said, adding that a multi-sectoral approach team will be set up to gather views and come up with strategies to deal with the tragedies once and for all.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, who is the school’s patron, described the departed learners as cherished daughters, sisters and friends who brought joy and inspiration to their families and those around them.
A grieving parent is overcome with emotion during the requiem mass for the 16 Utumishi Girls Senior School students who perished in a dormitory fire a fortnight earlier. The mass took place at Gilgil Stadium on June 12, 2026.
“Each of the girls carried dreams, ambitions and immense potential for the future and although they are no longer physically present, their memories will remain forever etched in the hearts of their families, classmates and teachers,” Mr Lagat said.
Mr Lagat admitted that the loss had shaken the institution and the wider Utumishi family to its core.
“Their laughter filled our corridors, their determination inspired those around them, and their presence enriched our lives in countless ways. There is no greater sorrow than the loss of a child and no words can fully ease such agony,” Mr Lagat said.
He emphasised the need for a thorough investigation into the fire, saying the victims would best be honoured through a commitment to uncovering the truth and ensuring such a tragedy never occurs again.
“We owe (investigations) to them and their families to ensure that their memory is honoured not only through our tears, but through our commitment to truth, accountability and justice. We must seek answers, learn every lesson possible from this tragedy and do everything within our power to ensure the safety and well-being of every child entrusted to our care,” Mr Lagat said.
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