Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing investigation into the tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County 
By Fredrick Kioko. Fresh details have emerged in the ongoing investigation into the tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, that claimed the lives of 16 students and left dozens injured.
According to investigators, CCTV footage captured moments before the devastating blaze erupted in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, and is now central to efforts to establish what transpired inside the school dormitory.
Preliminary findings indicate that at around 12:10 a.m., a group of students allegedly entered the dormitory while most occupants were asleep. The footage reportedly shows the students moving quietly through the building, briefly stopping at one section before proceeding deeper inside.
Investigators claim one of the students appeared to conceal her face from surveillance cameras while carrying a slipper, believed to have been used to soften footsteps.
Authorities say some of the students later moved toward the dormitory exit, leaving others behind. Detectives allege that two students may have ignited the initial fire before a second blaze was allegedly started near an area where mattresses were stored, causing flames to spread rapidly.
According to the investigation, the suspects are seen leaving the dormitory without raising an alarm as smoke and flames quickly engulfed the building.
By approximately 12:13 a.m., panic had spread among students as thick smoke filled the dormitory. Survivors reportedly scrambled for safety as the fire intensified.
The inferno killed 16 students and injured 79 others, sending shockwaves across the country and triggering renewed concerns over student safety, mental health, school security, and crisis prevention in learning institutions.
Authorities have cautioned that investigations remain ongoing and that all findings will be subjected to forensic review before any conclusions or legal action are taken.
The tragedy has left families, classmates, and the nation mourning the young lives lost in one of the country’s deadliest school disasters in recent years.
