Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has urged caution and patience as investigations continue into the fire that killed 16 students at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, saying the cause is not yet known and should not be discussed through speculation.

Speaking during a briefing on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Ogamba said authorities must first establish what caused the blaze before drawing conclusions or assigning responsibility.

“As I said, we already do not know the cause of this particular fire, and it would be speculative to say it is this or that,” Ogamba said. “I would suggest that we wait for the outcome of the investigations, and then we can confirm that.”

He stressed that the government already has a safety framework in place for schools and that the focus will now shift to checking whether it was followed at Utumishi Girls Academy.

“But from a policy perspective, we have a safety school manual that all the schools adhere to,” he said. “I would urge that we wait to see after the investigations whether that safety manual was adhered to in this particular school.”

Ogamba said the Ministry of Education continues to carry out routine audits in schools to ensure compliance with safety standards. He linked the current review to past incidents, saying the government had previously taken action where schools failed to meet required safety conditions.

“When Endarasha happened, we closed close to 350 schools that were not meeting the specifications of that particular manual,” he said.

He added that the ministry has continued to inspect and update safety requirements across the country in an effort to reduce risks in boarding schools.

“We continue doing audits and ensuring that our schools meet the safety manual for schools that is already in place and which we keep updating,” Ogamba said.

Probe into deadly fire

The CS made the remarks as investigators continued to probe the fire that broke out at a dormitory in Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School in Gilgil, Nakuru County. The blaze left students dead and others injured, prompting a large-scale emergency response involving police officers, fire teams, and medical personnel.

Rescue teams from the National Police Service, the Kenya Red Cross, and county emergency units spent hours searching the scene and evacuating injured learners to hospitals. Security officers later restricted access to the dormitory as investigators began examining the site.

Ogamba said 16 students died in the tragedy while 79 others were injured. He said most of the injured had already received treatment, while a few remained in the hospital under care.

“Out of 808 girls, 79 were injured. Seventy-one have been treated and discharged, while seven remain admitted,” he said. “We have 16 fatalities whose identities will be identified. The process of accounting is taking place.”

The cause of the fire remains unknown. Ogamba said investigators are working with security agencies and emergency responders to establish what sparked the incident.