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Utumishi Girls to reopen one month after dormitory fire killed 16
Parents at Utumishi Girls Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru County on May 28, 2026 after 16 students perished in a dormitory fire.
What you need to know:
- The school is now set to resume learning after issuing a notice to parents on the reopening.
- Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili confirmed the decision to reopen the school.
Utumishi Girls Senior School is set to reopen for learning one month after a deadly arson attack on one of its dormitories killed 16 students.
The school was closed by the Ministry of Education and all students sent home on May 28 in the wake of the tragedy that shook the country.
According to the ministry, the closure was meant to allow investigations into the incident and enable the students to undergo counselling following the trauma they experienced.
However, the school is now set to resume learning after issuing a notice to parents on the reopening.
In a notice sent to parents by the school principal, the school provided the schedule for the resumption dates of the different classes.
"Greetings. Hope this finds you well. Kindly note that the dates for resumption of school are as follows: Form 4s – Tuesday, June 30; Grade 10 – Thursday, July 2; and Form 3 – Saturday, July 4," read the message sent by the principal.
The school advised parents to accompany their children on the reopening dates.
Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili confirmed the government's decision to reopen the school to allow learners to continue with their education.
A burnt dormitory at Utumishi Girls Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru County on May 28, 2026.
Ms Mulili said the decision was reached after a meeting involving stakeholders, including the school board, ministry officials and a team from the National Disaster Operations Committee on Friday.
"We felt the need to have the learners resume their education as time was not on their side. We have the Grade 10 and Form Four students who need to prepare for their national examinations. We resolved to have them return as other logistics are still being put in place," said Ms Mulili.
The county education official further revealed some of the measures put in place to ensure smooth operations, including having learners use tents provided by the police as dormitories while the school completes new dormitories that are under construction.
According to Ms Mulili, the National Police Service has provided 300 tents and 300 mattresses for students who had been accommodated in the burnt dormitory.
"We understand the dormitory is still labelled as a crime scene by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and therefore cannot be used for now. The tents provided can accommodate at least 300 students temporarily as the school fast-tracks completion of a storey dormitory with a capacity of 240 beds," said Ms Mulili, adding that the committee and the school's founder and former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Mbugua had endorsed the decision.
She, however, said the extent of the damage could not yet be ascertained because a valuation could not be carried out on the block, which remains cordoned off by police.
The deadly inferno on the night of May 27 and 28 gutted the Meline Waithera Block dormitory, which housed 220 students from Grade 10, Form 3 and Form 4.
Government leaders led by Education CS Julius Ogamba, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, PS Julius Bitok, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, among others address students from Utumishi Girls Senior School at the institute’s parade ground on May 28, 2026.
The tragedy left 16 learners dead and 79 nursing injuries of varying severity.
Eight students were arrested in connection with the incident after it emerged that it was an arson attack. The number later rose to nine.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations zeroed in on the girls following the analysis of CCTV footage from the dormitory, as well as statements from learners, teachers and other members of staff.
The girls, who were presented before court on June 2, were detained for 21 days to allow police to conclude investigations.
On June 24, the case was transferred from Naivasha to Nairobi at the prosecution's request, citing safety concerns for the eight girls.
The court, however, ordered the release of the ninth girl after police failed to link her to the crime.
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