Kenya’s Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba on Friday dissolved the Board of Management of Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil after preliminary investigations linked the deadly school fire to serious safety failures and alleged negligence.
The move came a day after a dormitory blaze killed 16 students and left dozens injured in one of the country’s worst school tragedies in recent years.
Addressing journalists, Mr Ogamba said the school administration had failed to comply with safety standards outlined in Kenya’s School Safety Manual and Basic Education Regulations.
Among the concerns raised by investigators were overcrowding in the dormitory and a locked emergency exit door during the fire.
“In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory, and one exit door was locked contrary to prescribed safety requirements,” Mr Ogamba said.
He also disclosed that two teachers had reportedly received information from students about possible unrest involving a group of Form Three learners before the fire broke out, but no preventive action was taken.
“Consequently, the Board of Management of Utumishi Girls Academy has been dissolved for failing to ensure compliance with the School Safety Manual and the Basic Education Regulations,” he announced.
The Education Ministry further directed the Teachers Service Commission to begin disciplinary proceedings against the school principal, alongside the two teachers accused of failing to act on the warnings.
Mr Ogamba said investigations were continuing and warned that more disciplinary and legal action could follow.
“Appropriate disciplinary and legal action will be taken against officers found to have been negligent in their duties,” he said. “We shall provide further information in due course as investigations progress.”
Authorities now believe the fire may have been deliberately started.
The Cabinet Secretary said investigators from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations were questioning eight students described as persons of interest in the case.
“The investigation will ascertain their individual roles in the planning and execution of this heinous act,” Mr Ogamba said.
The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Thursday in a dormitory block housing more than 200 students. Witnesses and parents described scenes of panic as girls scrambled to escape the flames, with some reportedly forced to jump from upper sections of the building.
Officials said 79 students suffered injuries ranging from burns to fractures. Several remain in hospital receiving treatment, while others have since been discharged.
The tragedy has once again drawn national attention to safety conditions in Kenyan boarding schools, particularly concerns around overcrowding, emergency exits and night-time preparedness.
In the aftermath of the fire, grieving parents and education stakeholders have demanded accountability and broader reforms to school safety systems across the country.
As investigations continue in Gilgil, many families are still searching for answers about how a school dormitory became the scene of such devastation.