Scores feared dead as fire guts Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory in Gilgil, Nakuru
Emergency responders, including personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from the Western Garrison, Kenya Red Cross, the National Police Service, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Scenes of Crime unit, have been deployed to the school and are currently coordinating rescue, recovery, and investigation efforts
An unknown number of students are feared dead while dozens of others sustained injuries following a devastating fire that broke out at a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County in the early hours of today morning at dawn, Thursday 28, 2026.
The inferno, which reportedly started at around 3:30 a.m. engulfed one of the school’s dormitories, triggering a major emergency response involving multiple agencies.
The cause of the fire remains unknown and investigations are underway.
Emergency responders, including personnel from the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) from the Western Garrison, Kenya Red Cross, the National Police Service, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Scenes of Crime unit, have been deployed to the school and are currently coordinating rescue, recovery, and investigation efforts.
Journalists have also been barred from accessing the school.
A multi-agency security teams have launched a headcount of all students to establish the number of those affected, amid fears that some learners may still be unaccounted for.
School management and security officials have restricted access to the institution, allowing only parents and guardians into the premises as efforts to account for all students continue.
Large crowds that had gathered outside the school were ordered to disperse to facilitate smooth coordination of the ongoing emergency operation.
The institution has since been cordoned off and declared a crime scene pending investigations.
In a statement, the Kenya Red Cross confirmed its involvement in the response operation.
“Following a fire incident reported at around 3:30 a.m. at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya Red Cross responded to support the ongoing emergency response. Our first responders, E-Plus Medical Services ambulance crew and our psychosocial support personnel are currently on the ground supporting affected students alongside other responders and relevant authorities,” a statement by Red Cross reads in part.
The school and security teams are expected to provide further updates once the headcount and rescue operations are completed and the extent of the tragedy becomes clear.
More to follow…
