Murkomen Names the Real Killer in Utumishi Fire and Warns Those Seeking Political Mileage

Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen has confirmed what many feared: one side of the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory had an emergency exit that remained locked as the deadly fire raged on the night of May 28, 2026, and that failure cost students their lives.

Addressing the nation, Murkomen stated that the school was bound by standard safety procedures and those procedures were not followed. 

He confirmed that the locked emergency exit was among the reasons students could not escape in time. The Ministry of Education, he said, will take administrative action against the school management.

The fire broke out just after midnight at the Meline Waithera Block dormitory, which housed 220 students. Sixteen girls died. Seventy nine were hospitalised with burns and injuries, many from jumping off upper floor windows in desperation. 

Survivors told first responders that a student may have ignited a mattress, though the official cause is still under investigation.

Witnesses raised deeper concerns: only one matron was reportedly present that night, and the school's emergency exit remained inaccessible as the fire consumed the building. Eight students have since been detained as part of the ongoing probe, with DCI detectives reviewing CCTV footage.

The CS also took direct aim at politicians attempting to score points from the tragedy, condemning those going around trying to gain cheap political mileage from the incident in the strongest possible terms.

What accountability do the families of these 16 girls deserve from the school and the government?