DCI Identifies Students Who Lit the Fire at Utumishi Girls Academy

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has identified seven students alleged to have lit the tragic Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 16 students. 

In a statement on Sunday, May 31, DCI said CCTV footage recovered from the school, coupled with enhanced review at the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory, enabled detectives to positively identify the suspects. 

According to the DCI, six of the seven identified students are among the eight suspects who had earlier been arrested in connection with the incident.

The investigative agency noted that the seventh suspect was among the students released to their parents, and efforts to bring her into custody are ongoing.

“Further analysis of the CCTV footage, conducted in collaboration with the teachers, has enabled the investigation team to confirm the identity of seven students who participated in the arson before escaping the scene.

“Of the eight suspects previously arrested, six have been positively identified and confirmed through the footage. The seventh identified student was among those earlier released to their parents and is currently not in custody. Efforts are now underway to trace and arrest her,” read part of the statement.

At the same time, DCI noted that postmortem examination conducted on the sixteen deceased students confirmed that they died as a result of severe burns.

The agency mentioned that the autopsy was conducted at the Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital Mortuary by a team of pathologists led by Dorothy Njeri.

“The examinations confirmed that all sixteen students died as a result of severe burns. While at the hospital, the Kenya Red Cross teams provided psychosocial support to the bereaved families, who were allowed to view the bodies of their loved ones,” DCI said.

Further, DCI said DNA samples were collected from family members of the victims to facilitate formal identification of the remains.

“DNA reference samples were also collected from the families of the deceased students to facilitate formal identification of the remains, which was necessitated by the extent of the burns,” DCI added.

The Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire broke out on Thursday, May 28, at around 12:45 AM.

The tragic fire resulted in the death of 16 students, while 79 others sustained injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

On Friday, the DCI said the dormitory suffered extensive destruction, particularly on the upper floor, where the fire caused the greatest damage.

"The dormitory is a two-storey building in which the first-floor sustained extensive fire damage, while the ground floor remained largely intact. The affected upper floor consists of twelve cubicles accommodating a total of 135 double-decker beds," DCI said.

Meanwhile, Education CS Julius Ogamba has dissolved the Utumishi Girls Board of Management following the tragedy.

Addressing the media on Friday, the Education CS also confirmed that disciplinary proceedings had been initiated against the school principal and teachers linked to the incident.

"The Teachers Service Commission has been apprised of these findings and is taking appropriate and immediate disciplinary action against the Principal for failing to ensure compliance with the School Safety Manual and the Basic Education Regulations. The teachers who failed to take action despite having been informed of the planned unrest will also be subjected to disciplinary proceedings," he said.