Form Four students are re-admitted at the Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil after month-long closure occassioned by a dormitory fire, July 2, 2026. /SCREENGRAB
Grade 10 learners at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil resumed classes on Monday as the school entered the second phase of its staggered reopening following the May 28 dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 16 students.
Form Four students were the first to return on Thursday, July 2, under heightened security and a structured post-traumatic counselling programme.
Form Three learners are expected to report on Thursday, July 9, completing the phased resumption of learning.
The gradual reopening is intended to ease implementation of enhanced security measures while allowing students to receive individualised psychosocial support as the school works to restore normalcy.
Temporary dormitories have been erected within the school compound to accommodate learners after the ill-fated Meline Waithera Block was sealed off as a crime scene pending the conclusion of investigations.
Meanwhile, eight girls have been charged with 16 counts of murder after investigators alleged they started the fire that killed the students.
The minors denied the charges and remain at the Kabete Children's Remand Home pending a ruling on their bail application, which is scheduled for September 22, 2026.
During a previous court appearance, Lady Justice Diana Kavedza directed the media to refer to the accused throughout the proceedings as "subject minors."
She further directed the defence team to advise the subject minors to remain patient, noting that the trial is expected to take considerable time because of the number of victims involved.
The judge directed probation officers to keep the minors under strict supervision, including restricting access to mobile phones and television to safeguard their mental well-being while in remand.
The court further ordered the parents of the subject minors to facilitate counselling for the girls while they remain in remand.
Justice Kavedza said the court's decision on bail would be guided by a probation report prepared after interviews with the parents of the 16 deceased students, the school administration, the investigating officer and the eight accused minors.
The tragedy has continued to generate widespread public interest, with renewed calls for reforms to strengthen student safety, improve school infrastructure and address the growing wave of unrest in learning institutions.
The incident has also sparked debate over the role of parents in instilling values and discipline in children before they join school.
Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly on July 2, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo said the deaths exposed collective failures by families, schools, government and Parliament in protecting children.
"I condole with the families that have lost their little ones and I think we must accept that we have all failed the children who perished," he said, calling for a national re-examination of the values being instilled in young people, the influence of the internet and the declining role of communities in raising children.
Amollo also urged Parliament to establish an ad hoc committee to investigate the rising trend of school unrest, arguing that overcrowding resulting from the 100 per cent transition policy without matching infrastructure had worsened safety risks.
Referring to images of the burnt dormitory, he said the level of congestion highlighted the urgent need to review school facilities alongside broader education policies.
"If you look at images of that school, and that is a high-end school, you see that the dormitory was highly congested; there were beds on the corridors, there were beds next to the door. This 100 per cent transition without proper infrastructure is part of the problem."
