Kenyan police say eight students have been arrested in connection with a suspected arson attack at a girls’ boarding school that left 16 children dead and 79 others hospitalised.
The fire broke out at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, about 120 kilometres north of the capital Nairobi, engulfing a dormitory housing more than 130 bunk beds.
Investigators described the upper floor of the two-storey building as “badly damaged” following the blaze.
Police said early findings suggest the fire may have been deliberately set.
“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 in a statement.
Authorities said intensive interviews with students and staff are ongoing, alongside analysis of CCTV footage and forensic evidence, as they work to establish the exact cause of the fire, which remains unknown.
The school is linked to Kenya’s National Police Service, and most pupils are the children of serving officers.
All 16 bodies have been recovered and taken to the mortuary for identification, police confirmed.
Distraught parents gathered at the school compound after news of the fire spread, with some still uncertain about the fate of their children hours later.
Kenya has experienced a series of deadly school fires over the years, many involving boarding schools, which remain common across the country.
Children have previously been accused of deliberately starting dormitory fires. A past report documented 63 arson cases in schools.
A dormitory fire in Machakos County killed 67 pupils, while another at Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County killed 21 boys, prompting government promises of safety audits and stricter enforcement.
However, it remains unclear how far those measures have been implemented.
Education authorities say around 350 schools have been closed in recent years for failing to meet safety standards.
