Eight girls arrested in Kenya on suspicion of arson after deadly school fire

Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - NAIROBI — Kenyan police arrested eight female students on suspicion of arson after a fire destroyed a dormitory at a boarding school, killing 16 children and injuring dozens of others, authorities said on Friday.

The fire in the early hours of Thursday morning at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, about 120km north-west of capital city Nairobi, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory which had 135 bunk beds.

The girls were arrested for planning and carrying out the suspected arson attack, according to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, a department of the national police. The motive remained under investigation.

After interviews with students and staff and a forensic review of CCTV footage, eight pupils at the school were identified as "persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution" of the fire, the National Police Service said in a statement.

Investigations are ongoing into the exact cause of the blaze.

Police said the students were detained for questioning after being traced to their homes and brought back to the school, while others who had remained in the area were also tracked down and detained.

The eight were among 30 students who were initially recalled to the school by detectives investigating the deadly fire.

Regarding the aftermath of the fire, Education Minister Julius Ogamba said preliminary findings indicated that there had been multiple breaches of safety measures at the school, including overcrowding in dormitories and a locked exit door.

"In particular, there was congestion in the dormitory and one exit door was locked, contrary to the prescribed safety requirements," he said.

He dissolved the school's board of management and ordered action against the headteacher.

The minister said appropriate disciplinary and legal steps would be taken against anyone found to have failed in their duties.

Security was heightened around the institution as crowds gathered demanding swift action and accountability over the incident.

On Friday morning, parents remained in limbo at the school with no clear information on when the rest of the students would be released.

“We have not even been told about the eight that police have arrested,” a parent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of fear that her daughter could be victimized, told the Associated Press.

As investigators continue their work, sorrowful scenes unfolded at the school as parents and relatives broke down while waiting for updates about their loved ones.

"I arrived at the school at 07:00 and three hours later I don't have any information," Njuki Nthimba, who is looking for his niece, told the BBC on Friday morning.

"Some officers came from the school and asked the parents to group themselves in three groups. Group one is for parents whose children have been arrested in relation to the incident, group two is parents whose children died, and group three is parents who don't know where their children are.

"I handed them my niece's name, and I am now waiting to be told information about her."

Samuel Githua came to the school to look for his sister.

"I don't know where my sister is, we've been told some children are in hospital, some in the mortuary... Our mother died when we were young, so I have taken care of her like a father and mother. She has been my child," he added.

As well as the fatalities, the fire resulted in injuries to 79 pupils — some as a result of jumping from the first floor.

Seven of those injured were transferred to Nairobi on Thursday for specialised medical care, while the rest have been treated and discharged.

The bodies of those who died have been taken to the nearby mortuary for preservation and DNA identification.

Kenya has had a long history of school fires — just two years ago at least 21 people died in a dormitory fire in central Kenya.

Many fires reported in boarding schools have been the result of arson, with disgruntled pupils,angry about the discipline and living conditions, accused of being responsible, while others were caused by accident.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties.