The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has intensified its probe into the deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School after launching a manhunt for a student identified as a key suspect who is currently missing.
In a statement issued on Sunday, May 31, the DCI revealed that the student was among learners previously released to the custody of her parents following the tragedy but has since disappeared. Detectives are now working to locate and arrest her as investigations continue.
According to the agency, forensic experts reviewing surveillance footage at the DCI Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory have so far positively identified seven students linked to the incident.
"Of the eight suspects previously arrested, six have been positively identified and confirmed through the footage," the DCI said.
"The seventh identified student was among those earlier released to their parents and is currently not in custody. Efforts are now underway to trace and arrest her."
Investigators noted that the remaining six students identified through the CCTV footage are among the eight suspects who had earlier been arrested. Authorities confirmed that the footage was used to verify their identities and involvement as inquiries into the fire gather momentum.
The missing student's whereabouts remain unknown, with detectives describing her arrest as a critical part of the ongoing investigation.
The devastating blaze broke out in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, at the Gilgil-based institution in Nakuru County. 16 students lost their lives while more than 70 others sustained injuries in one of the country's deadliest school fire incidents in recent years.
The tragedy sparked nationwide outrage and renewed concerns over student safety in boarding schools.
President William Ruto ordered immediate investigations into the incident, insisting that those responsible would be held accountable. Other leaders also called for swift action to establish the cause of the fire and prevent similar disasters.
Attorney General Beatrice Oduor and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen pledged transparent investigations, with Murkomen stating that all relevant government agencies had been mobilised to uncover the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka urged authorities to implement lasting solutions to recurring dormitory fires across the country, while the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) faulted the failure to implement previous school safety recommendations.
Autopsy Reveals What Led To Death Of 16 Students
Meanwhile, post-mortem examinations have provided fresh details on how the victims died.
The DCI confirmed that all 16 students who perished in the dormitory fire succumbed to severe burn injuries, contradicting earlier reports that suggested some victims died from suffocation.
Pathologists from Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital, led by Dr Dorothy Njeri, conducted the examinations and concluded that the students suffered extensive thermal injuries consistent with a rapidly spreading fire.
"The examinations confirmed that all sixteen students died as a result of severe burns," the DCI stated.
The findings overturned preliminary reports indicating that 10 students had died from suffocation while six succumbed to burns.
Detectives also disclosed that the severity of the injuries made visual identification of several victims difficult. As a result, DNA samples were collected from relatives to facilitate formal identification.
"DNA reference samples were also collected from the families of the deceased students to facilitate formal identification of the remains which was necessitated by the extent of the burns," the statement added.
The Kenya Red Cross has continued providing psychosocial support to grieving families, many of whom were allowed to view the bodies of their loved ones following the post-mortem process.
In the wake of the tragedy, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba ordered the indefinite closure of the school. The Ministry of Education also dissolved the school's board of management, while the Teachers Service Commission launched investigations involving the institution's principal.
The DCI has appealed to members of the public to share any information that could help locate the missing suspect or assist investigators as they seek answers over the fire that claimed 16 young lives.
