A survivor of the Utumishi Girls Senior School fire in Nakuru has expressed deep anger over the incident, alleging that some of the students suspected of starting the blaze showed no remorse after the tragedy that claimed 16 lives.
Joy Wanjiku, who survived the deadly fire, said she was disturbed by the behaviour of the accused students, revealing they celebrated and embraced each other even after realising the scale of destruction and loss of life.She said some appeared emotional only over personal losses rather than the deaths that had occurred.
Joy, who lost her close friend Precious in the incident, described her as a supportive classmate who often helped her with studies and played a key role in bringing classmates together.
She said the loss has left a painful gap not only in her life but also within the wider school community.Speaking while accompanied by her parents during a condolence visit to Precious’s family in Kahawa West, Nairobi, Joy called for strict punishment for those found responsible.
She urged authorities to ensure the suspects face long prison sentences, arguing that previous similar cases had resulted in lenient penalties.
She also raised concerns about safety conditions at the school, saying overcrowding and poor infrastructure contributed to the high death toll.
Joy pointed to one dormitory section, which she said had no windows and only limited exits that were reportedly blocked, turning it into a confined space during the emergency.
According to her account, the lack of proper emergency exits and safety equipment made evacuation nearly impossible.
She also said there was no accessible water at the time of the fire, which prevented any meaningful response from students who tried to help.Joy further appealed to education stakeholders to urgently review school safety standards, including installation of fire extinguishers, CCTV systems, wider exits, and proper emergency planning.
She added that some actions during the incident suggested prior intent, noting that a fire was reportedly set at an exit point, worsening the situation and trapping students inside.
The incident has continued to raise serious questions about safety preparedness in schools and the need for stricter enforcement of regulations to prevent similar tragedies.