Education CS Orders Midday Release of Utumishi Girls Students After Deadly Dorm Fire Kills 16
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has ordered the immediate release of students from Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, following the devastating dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 16 learners.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, May 28, the visibly sombre CS confirmed that students would begin leaving the school by midday once authorities completed the sensitive process of accounting for every learner affected by the tragedy.
The fire, which has sent shockwaves across the country, broke out under circumstances that remain unclear, triggering panic among students and parents as emergency responders rushed to the scene overnight.
“We will also be releasing learners with their parents who are here during the course of the day. The cause of the fire is yet to be known, with investigations ongoing,” Ogamba said during a press briefing.
Government officials, police officers, and disaster response teams have since launched a major operation at the school as families desperately seek information about their children.
In a further directive, the Education CS urged parents whose children may have left the school earlier with relatives or guardians to immediately report to emergency response teams through a government hotline established after the incident.
Ogamba announced that hotline number 1199 had been activated to help authorities verify the whereabouts of all students and provide counselling support to affected families.
“Investigations are ongoing, and there is a hotline number 1199 to which we ask the parents to keep reporting, especially those who left with their kids when they came earlier, and that hotline number will also be available for counselling,” he added.
The tragedy has reignited concerns over student safety and emergency preparedness in Kenyan boarding schools, with pressure mounting on authorities to establish the exact cause of the inferno.
Police and forensic investigators remain at the scene as grieving families gather at the institution awaiting further updates.
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