Monday, June 1, 2026 - CCTV footage recorded moments before the devastating fire that swept through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, claiming the lives of 16 students and leaving dozens of others injured.
The footage is now at the centre of investigations with
detectives looking into events leading up to the inferno that struck in the
early hours of Thursday morning, May 28.
According to investigators, the events unfolded at around
12:10 a.m. when five students quietly walked into the dormitory while most
occupants were asleep.
The footage shows the group making its way to Cube 11, where
they briefly stopped before proceeding further into the dormitory. Detectives
noted that throughout the movement, the students did not appear to exchange any
words.
One of the students is seen attempting to conceal her face
from the surveillance cameras while carrying a slipper, which investigators
believe may have been intended to help muffle footsteps as they moved through
the dormitory.
Moments later, three of the students are seen quickly moving
toward the dormitory entrance, leaving two others behind.
It is these two students, investigators say, who
allegedly ignited the first fire.
The CCTV footage reportedly captures the pair striking a
matchbox before calmly walking away toward the exit.
But the first blaze was only the beginning.
Investigators say the students then moved toward another
section of the dormitory where mattresses were stored and started a second
fire. This time, the flames spread more rapidly.
After confirming that the fires had taken hold, the suspects
are seen leaving the dormitory without raising an alarm, according to
investigators.
Within minutes, smoke and flames began spreading through the building.
By 12:13 a.m., panic had erupted inside the dormitory as students woke up to thick smoke and growing flames. Some are seen attempting to understand what was happening while others scrambled to find a way out.
The situation deteriorated rapidly.
Investigators say that within five minutes, the fire had
engulfed large sections of the dormitory, turning the sleeping quarters into a
death trap as terrified students desperately searched for an escape route.
Preliminary findings indicate the blaze was deliberately
started near the dormitory's main entrance, the primary evacuation point for
students.
Detectives further allege that kerosene had been
smeared around the entrance area, causing the flames to spread quickly and
effectively cutting off the main escape route.
As the inferno intensified, many students found
themselves trapped inside.
The fire claimed the lives of 16 students, while 79
others sustained injuries as they attempted to escape the burning building.
Investigators say 10 of the victims were found near the
entrance, where the fire is believed to have started, while six others died
deeper inside the dormitory.
Eight students have been arrested in connection with the
fire.
According to DCI, investigators conducted an
enhanced review of the footage at the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory
within the National Police Service Forensics Laboratory, leading to the
identification of the students involved in the arson incident.
“After conducting a thorough, detailed forensic analysis
of the CCTV footage recovered from the school, coupled with enhanced review at
the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory at DCI National Police Service
Forensics Laboratory, a positive identification of the students who lit the
fire has been realised,” the statement said.
CCTV footage shows the chilling moments before Utumishi Girls Academy students allegedly set their dormitory on fire.
— Mwalimu Amunga Peter (@TeacherAmunga) June 1, 2026
Research shows that the girls who did this were from a growing lesbianism movement in Kenyan schools @TSC_KE#UtumishiGirlsAcademy #StopHomosexualityInSchools pic.twitter.com/fAikZL8iWG
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