President William Ruto has condoled with the families of students who lost their lives following a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
In a statement on Thursday, May 28, President Ruto said no words could ease the pain of losing young lives full of promise and dreams for the future.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil.
“No words can truly ease the pain of losing young lives filled with promise, hope, and dreams for the future. As a nation, we mourn with the parents, guardians, teachers, and fellow students who are enduring this unimaginable tragedy,” Ruto stated.
The Head of State noted that the government’s priority is to rescue the affected students, ensure the injured receive treatment, and provide support to the affected families as investigations into the tragedy continue.
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“Our immediate attention is focused on the rescue of those affected, the treatment of the injured, and support for their families, while investigations continue into the cause of the fire,” Ruto said.
Further, President Ruto prayed for comfort and strength for the families who lost students during the fire incident.
“May God grant comfort and strength to the grieving families during this painful time,” Ruto added.
Earlier, the Kenya Red Cross announced that the Utumishi Girls fire incident was reported at 3:30 am.
The organization noted that emergency response teams responded to support the situation.
“Following a fire incident reported at around 3:30 am at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya Red Cross responded to support the ongoing emergency response,” read the statement in part.
Kenya Red Cross also said it has deployed s psychosocial support teams to the school to support affected students.
Preliminary reports from the school indicate that 16 students died from the fire incident, with 74 others sustaining injuries.
The injured students were rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital in Gilgil for medical attention.
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