A sombre mood engulfed Naivasha on Friday as white coffins carrying the remains of 15 students who lost their lives in the tragic Utumishi Girls Academy fire left the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary ahead of a requiem mass at Gilgil Stadium.
The heartbreaking procession marked the beginning of the final journey for the young girls whose dreams were cut short by the deadly dormitory fire that shocked the nation.
Many Kenyans have been wondering why only 15 coffins were transported despite 16 students having died in the May 28 tragedy.
One of the victims, 16-year-old Zuhura Rama, was buried separately in Kwale County after her remains were positively identified through DNA tests and released to her family earlier in line with Islamic burial traditions.
Friday’s requiem mass comes after days of anguish for families who had waited anxiously for the identification process to be completed.
The ceremony was initially scheduled for a later date but was brought forward following consultations between government officials and bereaved families.
As the nation mourns, the government has announced a KSh200,000 support package for each bereaved family.
The State has also committed to covering mortuary fees, transportation costs, coffins and medical expenses for students who survived the inferno.
The tragedy claimed 16 lives and left scores of learners nursing injuries, making it one of the deadliest school fire incidents Kenya has witnessed in recent years.
Investigations into the cause of the blaze are still ongoing, with authorities pursuing a suspected arson angle. Several students have already appeared in court as detectives seek to establish what exactly happened on the night the fire broke out.
For the grieving families gathered in Gilgil, however, the focus was not on the investigations but on saying a painful final goodbye to daughters whose futures were stolen far too soon.
