Kenya girls' school dorm fire kills 16, hospitalizes 73

A devastating fire ripped through a girls' dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Kenya's Nakuru County early Thursday, claiming the lives of 16 individuals and leaving 73 hospitalized. The blaze erupted around 1:00 am local time in a dorm where approximately 220 girls were sleeping.

First responders, including ambulance crews and support personnel from the Kenyan Red Cross, were on the scene. Local media reported that frantic parents were being held outside the school premises by authorities. The school is reportedly linked to the National Police Service and is situated in an area with several army and training facilities.

This tragedy adds to a grim history of school fires in Kenya, where boarding schools are prevalent due to a colonial legacy. In 2024, a fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy killed 21 boys. Investigations into past incidents have pointed to factors such as exam stress, long school terms, and students communicating via smuggled phones, leading to copycat acts. Following a deadly fire in 2024, the government pledged a safety audit of all schools and vowed to prosecute violators.

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