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Kenyan police on Friday said eight students have been arrested in connection with a suspected arson attack at a girls’ school that left 16 pupils dead and 79 others hospitalised.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, about 120 kilometres north of Nairobi.
According to police, the upper floor of the two-storey dormitory, containing 12 cubicles and 135 bunk beds, was extensively damaged in the incident.
The Director of Criminal Investigations said in a statement that early findings had identified the eight students as suspects linked to the planning and execution of the suspected arson attack.
“Preliminary investigations have identified eight students as persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution of the suspected arson attack,” the director of criminal investigations said.
Investigators said they had carried out extensive interviews with students and teachers, while also reviewin footages and other forensic evidence as part of efforts to establish the exact cause of the fire, which remains under investigation.
Authorities confirmed that all 16 bodies have been recovered and taken to the morgue for identification.
The school, which is linked to the National Police Service, mainly caters to children of police officers.
Distraught parents had gathered at the school since news of the fire broke, with some still uncertain about the fate of their children hours later.
Kenya has recorded several deadly school fires over the years. Past reports have linked students to arson in some cases, including a 2001 dormitory fire in Machakos County that killed 67 pupils, and multiple incidents cited in official records.
More recently, a 2024 dormitory fire at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County killed 21 boys, prompting government promises of nationwide safety audits and stricter enforcement of school safety standards.
Earlier, the education ministry said about 350 schools had been closed since 2024 for failing to meet safety requirements.
