Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has confirmed that 16 students lost their lives following a devastating fire at Utumishi Girls’ Academy, a tragedy that has plunged the country into mourning and renewed concerns over safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools.

Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Ogamba said the fire broke out at around 12:45 am in one of the dormitories located on the second floor of the school. The blaze rapidly spread through the dorm, causing extensive destruction and leaving several students injured.

“And we woke up with the sad news of a fire incident at this girls’ school, where at about 12:45 am a fire broke out in one of the dorms on the second floor,” Ogamba said.

“The dorm is completely destroyed, together with a lot of injuries to our learners and unfortunately, we lost some of our learners in that incident.”

According to the Education CS, the school had a student population of 815 girls at the time of the incident, although seven students were away from school for various reasons. Out of the 808 students present during the fire, 79 were treated for injuries and trauma, with many later discharged from the hospital.

“We currently have seven admitted in hospital out of that number. We have 16 fatalities,” Ogamba confirmed during the briefing.

The identities of the deceased students had not yet been officially released by Thursday afternoon as forensic experts and investigators continued the process of identification and accounting for all learners affected by the tragedy.

Ogamba praised emergency response teams for their swift action in containing the inferno, noting that officers from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), county fire brigade, security agencies and the Kenya Red Cross responded immediately after the alarm was raised.

“The response teams managed to put out the fire by about 3 am but by then the damage had already been done,” he said.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has since deployed Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) officers to determine the cause of the fire. Authorities have launched a full-scale investigation amid growing calls for stricter enforcement of safety measures in schools across the country.

Ogamba urged members of the public to remain patient as investigations continue and assured affected families that the government would provide support during the difficult period.

The Utumishi Girls’ Academy fire incident now ranks among the deadliest school fires in recent years, reigniting debate over dormitory safety, emergency preparedness and student welfare in Kenyan learning institutions.