8 Tragic School Fires That Rocked Kenya

School fire incidents have been recorded in various boarding schools across Kenya over several decades. These incidents have involved dormitory fires in both primary and secondary institutions, with reported casualties, injuries, and property damage.

Causes cited in different investigations include arson, electrical faults, and other safety-related factors. The most recent incident occurred at Utumishi Girls Academy in May 2026, where 16 students were reported dead and several others injured.

Below is a list of selected documented school fire incidents in Kenya: 

1. Utumishi Girls Academy – 16 Students Dead

On May 28, 2026, a fire tore through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, killing 16 students and injuring dozens more. Authorities said the blaze broke out shortly after midnight, trapping students inside the dormitory as panic spread through the school.  

Some students reportedly jumped from upper floors to escape the inferno. Education CS Julius Ogamba later confirmed that 79 students were injured, while investigations were launched into possible safety lapses, including claims of locked exits and suspected arson.

2. Hillside Endarasha Academy (2024) – 21 Pupils Killed

Before the Utumishi tragedy, one of Kenya’s deadliest recent school fires occurred at Hillside Endarasha Academy on September 5, 2024. 

A dormitory housing more than 150 boys caught fire at night, killing 21 pupils aged between 10 and 14. Investigations later revealed overcrowding and dangerously narrow exits that hampered evacuation efforts. Following the tragedy, the school’s boarding section was shut down and later converted into a day school.

3. Moi Girls School, Nairobi (2017) – 10 Students Dead

On September 2, 2017, a dormitory fire at Moi Girls' School, Nairobi, killed 10 students.

The fire broke out around 2 a.m. while students were asleep. Investigators later concluded that the blaze was caused by arson. A former student was eventually convicted in connection with the incident after the court found she had intended to force a transfer from the school rather than kill fellow students.

The tragedy triggered nationwide concern about unrest, mental health, and safety standards in Kenyan boarding schools.

4. Asumbi Girls Primary School (2012) – 8 Students Killed

In 2012, eight students died in a dormitory fire at Asumbi Girls Primary School.

The blaze was reportedly linked to an electrical fault. The tragedy raised fresh concerns about electrical safety and emergency preparedness in boarding institutions. 

5. Endarasha Boys Secondary School (2010) – 2 Students Dead

In 2010, two Form One students died after a dormitory at Endarasha Boys Secondary School caught fire.

Though less deadly than later incidents, the tragedy added to the growing list of school fires that repeatedly exposed poor safety enforcement in learning institutions.

6. Kyanguli Secondary School (2001) – 67 Students Killed

The deadliest school fire in Kenya’s history occurred in March 2001 at Kyanguli Secondary School.

A dormitory was deliberately set ablaze at night, killing 67 boys. Survivors said students were trapped inside because one of the exits had been locked and windows were barred.

Investigations linked the fire to student unrest over cancelled examination results and fee disputes. Despite the scale of the tragedy, the criminal case later collapsed, and no one was ultimately convicted over one of the country’s worst school disasters.

7. Bombolulu Girls Secondary School (1997) – 26 Students Dead

In 1997, 26 girls died in a dormitory fire at Bombolulu Girls Secondary School.

Reports indicated that the dormitory had only one usable exit, which had been locked from the outside, while windows were fitted with metal grills that prevented escape. The school was later renamed Mazeras Memorial Girls' School in honour of the victims.

8. St. Kizito Secondary School (1991) – 19 Students Dead

One of the earliest major dormitory tragedies occurred in 1991 at St. Kizito Secondary School, where 19 students died in a fire that shocked the nation.

The incident remains one of the tragedies often cited in discussions about long-standing safety failures in Kenyan boarding schools.

Over the years, the government has repeatedly introduced safety manuals, task forces, inspection directives, and policy reforms aimed at preventing school fires. These include rules requiring wider exits, emergency doors, fire extinguishers, evacuation drills, and safer dormitory spacing.

However, many investigations and audits have continued to point to the same problems: overcrowding, poor infrastructure, weak enforcement and delayed emergency response.

With each tragedy, promises of reforms are renewed. Yet decades later, Kenyan schools continue to witness deadly dormitory fires that leave families grieving and the nation asking the same difficult questions.