Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika and Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja publicly disagreed over the county’s fire preparedness during a requiem mass held on Friday, June 12, for the 16 students who lost their lives in the Utumishi Girls Academy fire tragedy.
The exchange occurred after Senator Karanja urged the county government to strengthen its emergency response capacity by ensuring every sub-county has access to fire engines.
Addressing mourners, the senator suggested that more lives might have been saved if Nakuru had sufficient firefighting resources closer to the school.
“If we had our own fire extinguisher in Nakuru County, especially here in Gilgil, I am sure we could have saved many lives. Our Governor, ensure that we have fire engines in every sub-county to ensure that we respond to fire disasters as quickly as possible,” she said.
Karanja also called on the county government to honour Cecilia Wanjiku, a Form Four student who reportedly died while attempting to rescue fellow students from the burning dormitory. She described the teenager as a hero whose courage and sacrifice deserved recognition.
However, Governor Susan Kihika swiftly responded, dismissing the senator’s remarks as inaccurate.
Kihika maintained that Nakuru County’s fire department was the first emergency team to arrive at the scene and was responsible for containing the blaze before it spread further.
“The first fire engine at the scene, which put out the fire and stopped it from spreading further, was from the Nakuru County Government. So, I would hope you would get your facts right before alluding to such inaccuracies,” Kihika said.
The memorial service also saw renewed calls for reforms in Kenya’s education system following the tragedy.
Utumishi Girls Founder Makes Plea To Govt
Utumishi Girls Senior School founder and former Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua urged the government to reconsider the boarding school model, arguing that it has become increasingly vulnerable amid a rise in school fires across the country.
“We should have day schools. Those dormitories can be converted to workshops for training,” Mbugua advised.
He argued that the Ministry of Education should focus on improving the quality of day schools nationwide so that parents are not compelled to send their children to institutions located far from home.
Mbugua further proposed a review of single-sex schools, saying boys and girls should learn together. “Even at home we don’t separate boys and girls. I recommend they be trained together,” he said.
The Utumishi Girls fire claimed the lives of 16 students and was later classified as a suspected arson attack. Investigators arrested and charged nine suspects in connection with the incident.
According to investigators, CCTV footage allegedly captured the suspects setting mattresses ablaze before fleeing the dormitory as other students struggled to escape the flames.
The tragedy has intensified concerns over growing unrest in schools. Recent data from the Kenya Red Cross Society shows that 47 schools have reported fire incidents since January 2026, with 16 of those cases occurring after the Utumishi Girls disaster.
The humanitarian agency further reported that 187 people have been treated for injuries linked to school fires this year, including 132 victims from the Utumishi incident alone.
Meanwhile, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba revealed that the ministry has received reports of unrest from 204 senior schools across the country, while day schools have largely remained unaffected.
In response, Ogamba has established an inter-ministerial committee tasked with investigating the unrest and recommending measures to address the growing crisis in learning institutions.
During the requiem mass, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna also conveyed his condolences to the affected families and presented a cash donation from the Linda Mwananchi group to support relatives of the deceased students.
