Senator Tom Ojienda questions security lapses after Utumishi Girls’ Academy fire
By Aloys Michael, June 4, 2026Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda has raised concerns over the security failures that may have contributed to the deadly fire tragedy at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, which claimed 16 lives and left scores of students injured.
The senator questioned how a group of students managed to leave the school compound, purchase petrol, and return unnoticed before carrying out the fatal arson attack that has shocked the nation.
In an interview on a local TV station on Thursday, June 4, 2026, Ojienda said the incident exposed glaring weaknesses in the school’s security and monitoring systems.
“How porous was the school security system that the girls were able to leave the school, buy petrol, and return to burn it?” Ojienda posed.
He added that the circumstances surrounding the incident pointed to major lapses in supervision by both school management and security personnel.
“That points to a lax security system, including the watchmen at the gate. There should also have been proper reporting and monitoring of the students’ movements and activities,” he said.
His remarks came as a Naivasha court ordered the detention of nine girls linked to the deadly dormitory fire at Nakuru Children’s Remand Home for 21 days to allow police to complete investigations.
Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan reduced the prosecution’s request to hold the suspects for 30 days, directing that they remain in custody for 21 days instead.
The court also declined to release the minors on bond or bail, ruling that the prosecution had presented compelling reasons to justify their continued detention.
Suspects arraigned
“I now allow the application; the nine respondent suspects will be detained at Nakuru Children Remand Home for a period of 21 days from today,” Chief Magistrate Lorot ruled.
According to court documents, investigators require more time to locate and record statements from key witnesses who are reportedly spread across different parts of the country.
The prosecution further argued that releasing the suspects at this stage could interfere with ongoing investigations and compromise evidence gathering.
Detectives revealed that the girls had admitted to planning the attack in protest against changes to the school’s examination calendar, the introduction of charges for a cultural event, and what they described as peer influence following unrest at a neighbouring boys’ school.
Investigators said the plan to torch the dormitory was conceived at around 9 p.m. before being executed approximately three hours later.
Preliminary findings indicate that CCTV footage captured the nine suspects entering the dormitory shortly after midnight. Authorities claim that the students proceeded to set the building on fire while other learners were asleep inside.
“It is the reason we have taken every measure as a court to ensure we conceal and protect the identity of the respondents (9 students). They may well be innocent. That is for the trial court. Their safety is of paramount importance. This is the position that the court cannot walk away from,” Magistrate Lorot ruled.
The matter will be mentioned again on June 24, 2026.
The tragic incident has reignited debate about safety standards, student discipline, and crisis management procedures in Kenyan boarding schools.
Education stakeholders have increasingly expressed concern over a growing wave of student unrest that has affected learning institutions across the country in recent weeks.
The Utumishi Girls Academy tragedy comes at a time when several schools have been forced to close indefinitely following incidents of strikes, arson, and destruction of property.
Reports indicate that more than 10 schools had suspended operations by June 3, 2026, including Lenana School, Loresho Girls, and Senior Chief Koinange School, among others.