Eight students were arrested following a deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy that claimed sixteen lives on May twenty-eight.
Kenya Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed that surveillance footage captured students deliberately igniting the blaze in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
The official expressed profound grief after reviewing footage showing suspects setting the fire while their classmates slept inside the building.
The specialized Directorate of Criminal Investigations continues its intense probe into what authorities have now classified as a mass arson attack.
Detectives utilized extensive witness interviews, forensic evidence, and closed-circuit television recordings to successfully identify the eight detained high school students.
Authorities have not yet announced formal charges as investigators work to establish a definitive motive for this school tragedy.
The catastrophic incident also left seventy-nine other female students injured at the institution located northwest of the capital city, Nairobi.
This event ranks among the deadliest school fires in recent Kenyan history, sparking widespread national mourning and deep institutional outrage.
The tragedy has reignited intense public debate across East Africa regarding student safety protocols and discipline within strict boarding schools.
Grieving families now await justice as forensic teams conclude their examination of the charred ruins of the girls’ dormitory.
