Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Julius Ogamba has ordered closure of Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Nakuru County, following a fire tragedy that has left 16 learners dead.
The Cabinet Secretary indicated that all the learners will be released to their parents or guardians once the relevant authorities complete the process of accounting for all the students.
According to the Cabinet Secretary, 16 learners have so far been confirmed dead, 79 sustained injuries during the incident and were rushed to the Hospital for treatment, with 71 treated and later discharged.
He said the fire that broke out at around 12:45am was contained at about 3am by emergency response teams, although extensive damages had already been done.
The CS assured that the government security agencies were investigating the cause of the mysterious fire that started at one of the girls’ dormitories within the school.
At the same time the cabinet secretary directed parents of the students at Utumishi Girls’ to report through a government hotline any information regarding the tragic fire, even as authorities continue accounting for all the learners.
Mr Ogamba announced that the government had activated hotline number 1199 for parents to report information regarding students who may have left the school with relatives or guardians after the incident.
“Investigations are ongoing, and there is a hotline number, 1199, to which we ask the parents to keep reporting, especially those who left with their kids when they came earlier, and that hotline number will also be available for counseling,” he said.
Mr Ogamba further revealed that the institution has a total population of 815 girls, with 808 learners present in school at the time of the fire incident, while 7 others were at home due to undisclosed reasons.
He cautioned the public against speculation over the cause of the fire, saying investigations would determine whether the school complied with government safety regulations.
“Let’s not be speculative at this stage. We have a school safety manual that all schools adhere to. Let’s wait and see if the manual was adhered to after the investigation,” the cabinet secretary stated.
Meanwhile, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has appealed for calm and urged Kenyans to avoid speculation as investigations continue.
He assured that the government was standing with the affected families, adding that relevant authorities were already offering psychosocial support to the students and parents.
“The DCI team is sampling DNA to reveal identities. We don’t want to speculate much on this matter. We are allowing our investigative agencies to deal with this matter,” he added.
The two Cabinet secretaries were addressing the press at the school located in Gilgil Sub-county after a lengthy consultation meeting with relevant government officials.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika said county and National government agencies were jointly coordinating rescue, treatment and counseling efforts.
“We sincerely thank the response team that acted swiftly trying to put off the inferno,” the governor added.
According to a police report filed at Gilgil Police Station, the fire was reported at around 4.30am by School Principal, Joycelene Muraguri.
Police officers who rushed to the institution are said to have found the dormitory already engulfed in flames as terrified students screamed for help.
The police report indicated that one dormitory christened Meline Waithera Block, housing 220 mixed students of Grade 10, Form Three and Form Four, was already on fire.
The sub-county police commander led officers from Gilgil Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to the scene as firefighters and emergency responders battled the flames.
“Joint efforts by fire brigades from Naivasha, Kenya Defence Forces, water bowsers from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, Kenya Forest Service and National Youth Service managed to contain the fire,” the police report indicated.
The injured students were rushed to Gilgil Sub-county Hospital and St Mark’s Hospital for treatment as crime scene investigation officers from Nakuru processed the scene.
Police said property of unknown value was extensively destroyed in the inferno as investigations into the cause of the fire intensified.
by Esther Mwangi and Dennis Rasto
