Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo has expressed sympathy for both the families of the 16 students who died in the Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School fire and the students accused of starting the blaze, describing the tragedy as a “no win/no win situation.”

In a statement posted on social media on Sunday, May 31, 2026, the legislator said she had watched CCTV footage allegedly showing the students linked to the fire and was deeply disturbed by what she saw.

“I have watched that CCTV footage of the girls who allegedly lit fire that caused the death of 16 students in Utumishi Academy. It is horrifying and I can not help but feel the pain of the parents who lost their children,” she said.

Odhiambo recounted the emotional testimony of one bereaved mother who had waited for her daughter to emerge safely from the school, only to learn that she was among those who had perished.

“One mother almost made me cry when she narrated how she waited for her daughter as other parents were reuniting with theirs, only to realize hers was not coming. That was heart-wrenching,” she said.

The MP noted that while public outrage over the incident was understandable, she believed there was a need to reflect on whether the students accused of starting the fire had intended to cause the deaths.

“The easiest and more politically correct thing at this time is to condemn the errant girls and wish them death. I keep wondering though, did they really intend to kill?” she posed.

She said that if the students deliberately intended to cause the deaths of their colleagues, it would amount to an act of extreme cruelty.

“That would be so evil, callous and wrong. I would ask what happened to their sense of humanity?” she stated.

However, Odhiambo also raised the possibility that the students may not have understood the magnitude of the consequences of their actions.

“But what if they did not comprehend the magnitude? Then I feel for them and their parents. Their lives, even without a court decision, is scarred almost forever,” she added.

The MP concluded by describing the incident as a tragedy that has left lasting pain for all those involved.

“This is a no win/no win situation. Tragic indeed,” she said.

Her remarks come as investigators continue to probe the fire that claimed 16 lives at the Gilgil-based school. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations recently announced that forensic analysis of CCTV footage had enabled investigators to identify students allegedly involved in starting the fire, with several suspects already in custody as investigations continue.