Overview
- The fire tore through the second-floor dormitory at Otomichi Girls' Secondary School, burning for more than two hours after starting shortly after midnight and leaving at least 16 students dead and 79 injured, most of whom have since been treated and released.
- Police have begun questioning surviving students and opened an investigation to determine whether the blaze was accidental, deliberately set, or linked to breaches of fire-safety rules.
- Rescue workers reported the second-floor doors were initially closed or locked and that some students died after jumping from windows, raising urgent questions about evacuation procedures and building access.
- Hundreds of families gathered at the school and expressed anger and frustration over the slow release of victim identities while officials continue their inquiries.
- The disaster highlights a wider problem in Kenya, where government data recorded more than 100 school fires in 2024 and researchers say many incidents involve students setting fires in protest of strict rules and poor conditions.