Court has barred media coverage of the murder case involving eight Utumishi Girls students, citing the sensitivity of the matter. The students are accused of murdering 16 of their schoolmates in the May 28 dormitory fire.
The case linked to the deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy is set to move forward, with eight students expected to appear before the Kibera Law Courts to face 16 counts of murder. The charges relate to a fire that destroyed one of the school’s dormitories and claimed the lives of 16 students in one of the country’s most heartbreaking school tragedies.
The eight accused students are alleged to have played a role in the fire that swept through the dormitory, leading to the deaths of the schoolgirls.
The case is handled in a Children’s Court if the accused is under 15. Proceedings are closed to the public to protect the child’s privacy.The court must ensure the minor has legal representation and receives psychological and social support.The goal is rehabilitation and reintegration rather than punishment.
The court ordered the release of one of the suspects linked to the Utumishi Girls Academy fire and directed that she be handed over to her parents after investigations found no evidence linking her to the offence.The other eight suspects will remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court on June 26, 2026, to take plea on murder charges. Pending their arraignment, the court directed that they be held at either the Nakuru Children Remand Home or the Nairobi Children Remand Home.
CCTV footage reportedly captured several girls arranging mattresses before setting them on fire. A surviving student, who had been trapped inside one of the cubicles during the incident, later identified the suspects to investigators. Authorities believe many of the victims could have escaped had the dormitory door not allegedly been locked from the outside by the arsonists.
Under Kenyan law, the suspects, being minors, would be tried through the juvenile justice system. Kenya has correctional institutions specifically designated for minors, including girls’ borstal institutions that accommodate offenders between the ages of 14 and 17. Upon attaining the age of 18, they may be transferred to adult correctional facilities in accordance with Kenyan law.