GILGIL, Kenya — A horrific overnight fire tore through a dormitory at a girls' boarding school in central Kenya early on Thursday morning, May 28, 2026 killing at least 16 students and leaving dozens more hospitalized.

The disaster unfolded at the Utumishi Girls Academy in the Gilgil area of Nakuru County, roughly 120 kilometers (75 miles) northwest of the capital, Nairobi. The prestigious, government-owned secondary school—which accommodates more than 800 students—is managed and sponsored by the Kenya Police Service, meaning many of the young victims are the daughters of police officers.

According to local police and emergency services, the fire erupted shortly after midnight at around 1:00 AM while the students, aged between 15 and 18, were fast asleep. Approximately 220 girls were inside the specific dormitory when the flames broke out, triggering mass panic as thick smoke swallowed the building.

The Kenya Red Cross reported that it received the official emergency call at roughly 3:30 AM. A multi-agency force consisting of the county fire brigade, disaster response teams, police, and medical personnel immediately deployed to the campus.

Horrifying accounts from the scene paint a picture of chaos and desperation. Wambui Nderitu, who rushed to the school to check on her cousin, told reporters that students on the top floor were forced to jump from windows to escape the advancing inferno. Nderitu also recounted harrowing reports that a matron had unlocked only one of the two main dormitory exit doors without properly alerting the fleeing children, leaving the second door completely shut.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba confirmed that alongside the 16 fatalities, 79 other students suffered injuries. Most of those injured were rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Gilgil. Fortunately, medical officials stated that the majority of the girls were in stable condition, and 71 had already been discharged after receiving treatment for minor injuries, burns, and smoke inhalation.

As news of the tragedy broke, hysterical parents lined up outside the school gates demanding answers. Security forces cordoned off the facility, allowing only family members inside the compound while emergency teams conducted a headcount and combed through the ash-stained structure.

Furthermore, police launched a sweeping search of the surrounding bush and neighborhood. "Out of that shock and fear and anxiety, many people ran out into the night," explained senior police commander Masoud Mwinyi, noting that officers were working tirelessly to track down students who may have fled into the darkness for safety.

The cause of the deadly blaze remains unknown, and an official investigation has been launched by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Minister Ogamba stated that investigators will look heavily into whether the school strictly adhered to national fire safety manuals.

The disaster has reignited intense scrutiny over boarding school safety in Kenya, which has a long and tragic history of dormitory fires. While some past incidents have been attributed to faulty electrical wiring, many have been linked to arson protests by students over rigid discipline, overcrowding, and poor conditions. A damning 2022 report by the country's auditor general previously revealed that the vast majority of state-run secondary schools are woefully unprepared to manage fire emergencies.

President William Ruto sent his condolences to the affected community, stating that the entire nation shares in the profound grief of the families who lost their beloved daughters. Red Cross psychosocial support teams remain on the ground to provide trauma counseling to the surviving students, teachers, and grieving parents.