Families, friends and community members gathered in Kenya on Friday to mourn 16 schoolgirls who lost their lives in a suspected arson attack at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County.
The emotional mass funeral was held at Gilgil Stadium, about 120 kilometres north of Nairobi, where mourners paid their final respects to the victims of the May 28 tragedy.
The fire broke out in a dormitory during the night, trapping students inside the building as flames spread rapidly. According to the Kenya Red Cross, 16 girls aged between 15 and 18 died, while 132 others sustained injuries.
The incident has shocked the nation and renewed concerns over a growing wave of unrest in Kenyan schools.
Kenya has recorded 47 school fires this year, many linked to student protests over issues such as examination pressure, poor living conditions and allegations of corruption within educational institutions.
At the funeral service, rows of small white coffins decorated with orange, white and pink flowers stood before grieving relatives.
Emotions ran high as mothers, fathers and family members broke down in tears while the bodies arrived in a solemn procession. Reports indicated that at least three parents fainted during the ceremony, while one grieving father had to be restrained.
“Why, why God have you gone?” a young mourner cried as she stood beside one of the coffins.
Religious leaders presiding over the service urged attendees to focus on remembrance and prayer rather than politics.
“We have come for prayers, not politics,” one priest told mourners during the ceremony.
Among those in attendance was Liz Munyaga, whose 17-year-old niece, Gertrude, died in the fire.
“I have never expected something like this. A school is supposed to be the safest place for children,” she said.
“Why turn on a fellow school mate? That is the question we are all asking,” she added.
Authorities confirmed that nine students from the academy remain in custody as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
The tragedy has intensified scrutiny of safety conditions in Kenyan boarding schools, particularly concerns about reports that students are sometimes locked inside dormitories at night, a practice that violates fire safety guidelines.
One survivor, 15-year-old Rosie, recalled waking up to thick smoke and flames inside the dormitory. She said she desperately tried to escape through a locked door before eventually jumping from the first floor, injuring her leg.
“I was very scared,” she said. “It was so terrifying, but even as I was jumping I was remembering that there were some girls left behind.”
Rosie also spoke about losing her best friend, Abigail, in the fire.
“She was a dancer, we would always chat together,” she said before becoming emotional.
“It is really painful to me. We have been so traumatised.”
The fire at Utumishi Girls Academy has been followed by several other school fires across Kenya, prompting dozens of boarding schools to temporarily send students home to prevent further unrest.
Education experts have linked the incidents to copycat behaviour and growing frustration among students over the pressures within the country’s education system.
As investigations continue, Kenya remains united in mourning the young lives lost in one of the country’s deadliest school tragedies in recent years.
