Nairobi|Forum of Horn Vision"HAPC"
Sunday|May31, 2026
Kenya awoke to a human tragedy that brings to mind the crisis of boarding school safety in the country, as at least 16 students died in a horrific fire that broke out in a boarding house belonging to the “Otomishi” Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County , located in the Rift Valley region in west of the country.
Details of Night of the Fire:
According to official police data, the fire broke out after midnight on the second floor of the girls’ dormitory building, which housed about 220 students at the time of the incident. In a panic, many students tried to save their lives by jumping out of the windows.
Official Figures and Investigations:
In a statement explaining the repercussions of the disaster, Kenyan Education Minister Julius Migos Ogamba said that at least 16 female students died in the fire, with about 79 injuries of varying severity recorded among the students, most of whom left the hospital after receiving the necessary first aid and medical care.
Investigation Path : Criminal Suspicion Under Investigation:
The minister confirmed that investigations are continuing intensively to uncover the circumstances of the incident and determine the exact causes of the fire.
Media reports quoted initial statements indicating the possible involvement of one of the students in starting the fire, but official authorities have not yet definitively confirmed or denied this hypothesis.
Frequent Fire Incidents in Student Residences:
This tragic incident brings to light the recurring phenomenon of boarding school fires in Kenya in recent years, which has turned into a nightmare for families. In 2017, a fire broke out at a school in the Kibera area of the capital, Nairobi, leaving behind the death of 9 students. In 2024 , a fire broke out at a boarding school in the center of the country, leading to the death of 21 students. Then this is the third incident of the fire came at the Otomishi Academy in the west of the country, leaving behind the death of at least 16 students.
This recurring phenomenon puts the issue of safety and security procedures within Kenyan educational institutions under scrutiny, and a question remains: What is behind the repeated fire incidents in student residences?
