Fresh questions emerged on Thursday over safety procedures at Utumishi Girls Academy after a parent alleged that a locked emergency exit may have worsened the deadly dormitory fire that killed 16 students and injured dozens more.

The fire, which broke out in the early hours of Thursday at the school in Gilgil, has left families grieving and triggered renewed scrutiny over safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools.

Speaking outside the school grounds, one parent described chaotic scenes inside the dormitory as students struggled to escape the flames.

“The dormitory is divided into upper and lower sections,” the parent said. “The matron opened one of the emergency doors to allow students to leave during the incident, but another door remained locked.”

The parent claimed that some students trapped in the upper section of the building were forced to jump from the dormitory to escape the fire.

“Those who were on the upper part of the dorm, some jumped to the ground and sustained serious injuries,” the parent added. “That is why some are now in hospital in critical condition.”

Authorities had not independently confirmed the claims about the emergency exits by Thursday afternoon, and investigators were still examining the cause of the blaze.

Police said 16 students had died while 74 others remained hospitalised with injuries ranging from burns to fractures and smoke inhalation.

The dormitory, identified as the Meline Waithera Block, was reportedly housing about 220 students from Grade 10, Form Three and Form Four classes at the time of the fire.

The grieving parent also questioned staffing arrangements at the dormitory, claiming there was only one matron assigned to supervise the students overnight.

“I call on the government to ensure dormitories have at least two matrons,” the parent said. “If there were two, both emergency doors could have been opened immediately and perhaps more lives could have been saved.”

Senior government officials travelled to the school as the scale of the tragedy became clearer.

Kipchumba Murkomen, Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok and Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat arrived at the institution on Thursday to assess the situation and support ongoing investigations.

President William Ruto also issued a statement mourning the victims and expressing solidarity with affected families.

“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil,” the president said.

“No words can truly ease the pain of losing young lives filled with promise, hope, and dreams for the future.”

Ruto said the government’s immediate focus would be on treatment for injured students, support for grieving families and investigations into the cause of the disaster.

The tragedy has reopened painful national memories of past school fires in Kenya, several of which exposed failures in dormitory safety standards, emergency preparedness and student protection measures.