Eight girls arrested over the tragic Utumishi Girls’ school fire
Eight students have been arrested and placed in police custody over the Thursday’s school fire incident at the Utumishi Girls’ senior school that claimed the lives of 16 students.
In a press release issued on Friday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said preliminary investigations had identified eight students as persons of interest in connection with what investigators suspect was a planned arson attack.
The DCI revealed that detectives have already conducted extensive interviews with students, teachers, and other witnesses, while forensic experts continue reviewing CCTV footage and analysing evidence collected from the scene.
According to investigators, the fire extensively damaged the first floor of the Meline Waithera Dormitory, a two-storey building that accommodated 135 double-decker beds across 12 cubicles.
The ground floor remained largely intact despite the intensity of the blaze.
According to the statement a specialized investigation team drawn from Crime Scene Investigations, the Crime Research and Intelligence Bureau, forensic imaging experts, acoustics specialists, and forensic DNA analysts has since taken over the case following the completion of rescue operations.
Authorities said the 16 bodies recovered from the dormitory were transferred to Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital Mortuary for postmortem examinations and formal identification.
Detectives are currently working to establish the exact source of the fire by examining burn patterns, electrical installations, and the possible presence of accelerants. Further noting they are also reconstructing the sequence of events leading to the tragedy.
The DCI noted that the emergency response involved multiple agencies including the National Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces, Kenya Red Cross Society, Kenya Forest Service, National Disaster Management Unit, Ministry of Education officials, medical officers, and members of the local community.
As investigations continue, the DCI appealed to parents, guardians, and members of the public to remain calm and allow investigators time to complete what it described as a thorough and impartial inquiry aimed at ensuring justice for the victims and their families.