Gilgil, Kenya—Eight students appeared in court Wednesday to face legal proceedings regarding the arson attack at Utumishi Girls Academy last month. The fire, which ripped through a dormitory in late May, left sixteen students dead and dozens more injured. Prosecutors formally filed the initial charges as the community continues to mourn the victims.

The courtroom remained tense as families of the deceased sat in the gallery. The eight suspects, all students at the academy, stood before the magistrate while evidence regarding the origin of the fire was presented. Investigators believe the blaze was started intentionally to protest disciplinary actions at the school.

Fire crews arrived on the scene during the late night hours to find the structure fully engulfed. Efforts to rescue the students were hampered by locked security grilles on the windows. The failure of these safety mechanisms remains a central focus of the criminal inquiry.

Forensic teams spent several days sifting through the charred remains of the dormitory. They confirmed the use of an accelerant, which contradicts earlier reports of an electrical fault. This evidence provided the primary grounds for the detention of the accused students.

The academy remains closed indefinitely while the ministry of education conducts a nationwide review of boarding school safety standards. Parents have demanded accountability for the negligence that led to such a high death toll. The school administration is also facing intense scrutiny regarding their supervision protocols.

Defense lawyers have requested bail, citing the age of the defendants, but the court has pushed back against these motions due to the severity of the charges. The state intends to pursue the case through a specialized juvenile tribunal. Prosecution leads have indicated that more arrests are possible as the investigation progresses.

Grief counselors have been deployed to the area to assist the surviving students and traumatized staff members. Many of the girls who survived are currently refusing to return to the campus. The psychological impact of the incident continues to ripple through the town of Gilgil.

The judicial process will likely be lengthy, with further hearings scheduled for later in the month. For now, the students remain in custody while the state finalizes the evidentiary files. The site of the fire is still cordoned off, acting as a grim reminder of the night’s events.