Nine students suspected of setting fire to a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County — a blaze that killed 16 of their schoolmates — have been ordered detained for 21 days after a Naivasha court denied them bail.
Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan issued the ruling on Wednesday, approving the prosecution’s application to hold the minors, though trimming the requested detention period from 30 days to 21. The case will next be mentioned on June 24, 2026.
The court found the prosecution’s grounds for continued detention compelling, noting the gravity of the charges — murder and arson — and the risk that releasing the suspects could compromise key witnesses, many of whom are known to the students personally.
“The grounds are serious,” the magistrate stated, adding that detention was also necessary for the safety and welfare of the students themselves, given the intense public interest surrounding the tragedy.
Investigators revealed chilling details about how the fire was allegedly planned and executed. According to detectives, the plot was hatched at 9 p.m. on the night of May 28 and carried out three hours later. CCTV footage captured the suspects arriving at the dormitory just after midnight and starting the fire while their fellow students were asleep. The footage reportedly also shows matchboxes, mattresses, and paraffin being secured in the hours leading up to the blaze, which broke out at 12:10 a.m.
The suspects told investigators they were motivated by a combination of grievances against the school administration, including anger over a change in the examination calendar — moved from June 16 to June 2 — charges imposed for a school cultural event, and alleged peer influence from a neighbouring boys’ school that had gone on strike days earlier.
The prosecution informed the court that key forensic processes, including DNA analysis, remain incomplete, and that crucial witnesses are spread across different parts of the country, making their swift identification and statement-taking essential to the investigation.
Homicide detectives handling the case have indicated that more suspects may yet be arrested, noting that the presence of paraffin — not easily accessible to students — suggests possible outside assistance in procuring the material.
During the proceedings, Chief Magistrate Ramathan barred the media from photographing, publishing, or sharing images of the minors, citing children’s rights provisions under Section 220 of the Children’s Act. The court also directed that the students be held at the Nakuru Children’s Remand Home, with regular access to Children’s Department officers, legal representation, and support services throughout the process.
The tragedy has triggered a nationwide conversation about boarding school safety. As of Wednesday, over ten schools have been closed following student unrest, and the Ministry of Education has launched fresh inspections of all boarding institutions across the country.
