Kenya: Eight students suspected of involvement in girls' school fire
Two teachers were aware of the fire plans.
Written by Ziad Abdel Fattah:
Authorities in Kenya have announced the arrest of eight female students suspected of involvement in an arson attack that broke out inside a girls' boarding school, killing 16 students and injuring 79 others, in one of the worst educational incidents in the country in recent times.
According to a statement issued by the Criminal Investigation Directorate, the fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday morning inside a girls' secondary school in the Gilgil area of west-central Kenya, indicating that initial investigations revealed a suspicion of premeditation in the incident.
The eight female students were detained on suspicion of starting the fire.
The statement explained that the eight female students are currently in detention, after being suspected of participating in the planning and execution of the fire, while the authorities continue their investigations to uncover the full circumstances of the incident.
Two teachers were notified of the fire plans.
For his part, Kenyan Education Minister Julius Ogamba revealed that initial investigations showed that two teachers were notified of the fire plans before it occurred, without any action being taken to prevent it, raising questions about negligence within the school.
Closing one of the emergency exits
He added that the school violated safety rules, as the dormitories suffered from severe overcrowding, in addition to the closure of one of the emergency exits during the outbreak of the fire, which contributed to the high number of victims.
The Kenyan government appoints the school's governing board.
In light of these developments, the government decided to dissolve the school's board of directors, pledging to take legal and disciplinary action against any official found to be negligent.
This incident comes amid a series of recurring school fires in Kenya, often linked to student protests over poor conditions and strict discipline. A previous fire in 2024 killed 21 students, while the 2001 Kyangole school fire, which claimed the lives of 67 students, remains the deadliest in the country's history.
At least 16 students were killed and dozens injured in a devastating fire that broke out in a dormitory at a girls' secondary school in the Rift Valley town of west-central Kenya in the early hours of Thursday morning, Kenyan authorities announced. Continue reading.
