NAIVASHA, June 3rd 2026 -The Naivasha Law Courts has ordered nine students suspected of involvement in the deadly Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire to be remanded for 21 days pending completion of investigations.
Chief Magistrate Abdiqadir Mohamed delivered the ruling on Wednesday 3rd after prosecutors from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) sought additional time to conclude inquiries into the fire tragedy that killed 16 students and left dozens injured at the Gilgil-based school on May 28.
The suspects, all minors, appeared before the court amid heightened security as the prosecution argued that more time was required to gather evidence, record witness statements and complete forensic investigations. The State had initially sought a longer detention period, but the court granted a 21-day remand order.
The students will be held at the Nakuru Children’s Remand Home and the case is scheduled to be mentioned again on June 24, 2026. Investigators are expected to use the period to determine whether formal charges, including arson and related offences, will be preferred against the suspects.
According to investigators, preliminary findings indicate that the fire was deliberately started at the dormitory’s exit . CCTV footage and witness statements have formed a key part of the ongoing investigation.
Authorities say the blaze spread rapidly through the dormitory, which housed more than 200 students, leading to one of the deadliest school fire incidents in Kenya in recent years.Education officials have also launched separate investigations into alleged safety lapses at the institution, including reports of a locked emergency exit during the fire.
The tragedy has sparked national debate on school safety standards, student welfare and emergency preparedness in boarding schools across the country. Families of the victims continue to await justice as authorities work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
