The atmosphere at Utumishi Girls Senior School was filled with fear, confusion, and heartbreak as parents streamed to the school after receiving frantic calls from neighbors informing them that a fire had broken out at the institution.

‎‎Many arrived shaken and breathless, hoping and praying their daughters were safe.

‎‎However, upon arrival, parents were barred from entering the school compound as Anti Stock Theft police officers guarded the gate, deepening the anxiety and tension outside the institution.

‎‎Some parents broke down in tears, others paced helplessly, while many desperately tried calling their children without success.

‎‎At around 8 am, the gates were finally opened and parents rushed into the school compound in panic.

‎‎Mothers and fathers ran in different directions, frantically trying to access classrooms and dormitories to confirm the safety of their children.

‎‎Meline Waithera block B dormitory that caught fire remained under tight security, with Anti-Stock Theft Unit officers restricting access to the area.

‎‎From a distance, we observed that the roof of the dormitory was blackened with soot, standing as a painful reminder of the tragedy that had unfolded hours earlier.

‎Emotional scenes unfolded across the school compound as some parents finally reunited with their daughters. Tears of relief flowed freely as mothers tightly embraced their children, while others knelt down in prayer, thanking God for sparing their lives.

‎‎But for some families, the nightmare was far from over.

‎‎Sadness and uncertainty engulfed parents who had still not found their children. Cries and desperate pleas echoed through the compound as parents moved from one corner of the school to another searching for answers.

‎‎In one dramatic moment, a distraught father interrupted Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen while he was addressing students, demanding answers about the whereabouts of his daughter.

‎‎“Tell me where my daughter is. I want to know whether my daughter is dead or alive,” he cried out emotionally.

‎‎The father, who had searched the school for more than five hours without finding his child, eventually attempted to force his way toward the dormitory area where the bodies of the deceased students were still lying.

‎‎In desperation and pursuit for answers, the father tore off his shirt, remaining shirtless as other parents and the Kenya Red Cross team tried to calm him down.

‎‎Screaming in anguish and pleading with police officers, the devastated father begged to be allowed to identify the bodies to confirm whether his Form Three daughter was among the victims.

‎‎Recounting the 3am event, first responder Francis Mungai noted that it was heartbreaking to witness students fighting for survival while little could be done quickly enough to contain the flames.

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Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA / MTAA WANGU

‎‎“The fire brigade came about 30 kilometres from Naivasha. If Gilgil Municipality had a firefighting vehicle, we could have saved more lives,” the responder noted.

‎‎Susan Kohoto a parent at the school expressed her joy after being reunited with her daughter.

‎‎She however went ahead to question intelligence gathering within the school noting that tension had been witnessed at the school a week ago.

‎‎"I was accompanied by my sister since I did not know what to expect, we were finally allowed and fortunately I found my daughter. What surprises me is that we brought our children here knowing it is a police institution and that they will be taken care of. I am wondering where they were when the fire broke out. How comes they did not get any intelligence," she paused.

‎‎Education CS Julius Ogamba described the incident as a national tragedy, revealing that the fire broke out at around 12:45am in one of the dormitories located on the first floor of the school.

‎He noted that the dormitory was completely destroyed in the inferno, leaving dozens of learners injured while others lost their lives.

‎‎According to the CS, School had a student population of 815 girls, with 809 presents in school at the time of the incident while seven were away at home for various reasons.

‎‎"Out of the 808 learners, 79 sustained injuries and were rushed to different hospitals for treatment," the CS noted

‎He additionally stated that 71 students had already been discharged, seven remained admitted in hospital, while one learner had been picked up by her parent from hospital.

‎‎ Ogamba further confirmed that 16 students died in the tragedy, adding that investigations and identification of the victims were ongoing.

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Photo credit: PURITY KINUTHIA/MTAA WANGU

‎‎The CS said emergency response teams from the Anti-Stock Theft Unit, Kenya Defence Forces, County Fire Brigade and the Kenya Red Cross responded swiftly and managed to contain the fire by around 3am, though the damage had already been done.

‎‎He added that detectives from the DCI headquarters and CSI officers had commenced investigations to establish the cause of the fire and identify all the victims.

‎‎Ogamba also announced that the government had activated hotline number 1199 to assist parents in tracing learners and accessing counselling services.

‎He further noted that students would only be released after proper documentation and confirmation that every learner had been accounted for.

‎‎The CS conveyed condolences to the affected families and wished the injured learners a quick recovery as investigations into the tragic incident continue.

‎‎At around 1pm parents were allowed to leave with their children and the school closed infenidatly.

‎so far Six out of the 16 bodies have so far been identified, according to the Kenya Red Cross contact tracing desk.

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Seven injured Utumishi Girls students airlifted to Nairobi

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Leleti Jassor