Families and relatives of the 16 girls who died in the Utumishi Girls Academy fire tragedy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, have blamed both the Ministry of Education and the school for the deaths.

The families questioned why students were locked in despite safety guidelines in the Ministry’s Safety Standards Manual designed to protect learners.

This came as the painful process of identifying victims and collecting DNA samples began at Naivasha Sub-county Mortuary, where the bodies were transferred from Gilgil.

Emotions ran high among the bereaved families as they struggled to come to terms with the tragedy that left several students injured and others deeply traumatised.

George Nyakeri, who lost a niece, accused the government of failing to learn from past fire incidents, saying it was “playing to the gallery” as families mourned.

An emotional Nyakeri said students had revealed they were locked in the dormitory by the school management despite the risks involved.

“My brother, after learning about the death of his youngest daughter, has been admitted to hospital as he struggles to cope with the shock,” he said.

He questioned why the school had failed to implement recommendations in the Ministry’s Safety Standards Manual following previous fire incidents.

“The government officers are now busy running up and down after we have lost our children before returning to their businesses as we suffer,” he said.

Another parent, Rose Wambura, described the trauma among rescued girls, saying they urgently needed counselling support.

Hallucinations

Wambura said her daughter, a survivor, had been admitted to hospital with chest infections and hallucinations.

“My daughter was fine on the way home but later started hallucinating. We rushed her to hospital where she, along with another girl, has been admitted,” she said.

Speaking in Naivasha, she recounted how the girls managed to break down one of the dormitory doors before fleeing to safety as some of their colleagues collapsed from the intensity of the fire.

Steve Maina, the Kenya Red Cross coordinator in Naivasha, confirmed that the 16 bodies had been transferred to Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary awaiting identification.

He added that a tracking and counselling desk had been set up at the hospital to support survivors of the fire incident.

“The process of identifying the bodies and collecting DNA samples is underway and we are offering counselling support to affected families during this difficult time,” he said.

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