The Kibera High Court has ordered that eight students facing murder charges over the deadly Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire undergo mental assessments before their case proceeds.
The directive was issued on Friday when the students appeared virtually before Deputy Registrar Barbara Akinyi for the first mention of the case after it was transferred from the Naivasha High Court.
During the proceedings, the prosecution asked the court to have all the minors examined by a child psychiatrist at Mathare Mental Hospital to determine their mental fitness. Prosecutors also sought assessments by Children’s Officers and requested the opening of protection and care files for each of the students.
The prosecution further asked the court to allow the eight students to remain at Kabete Children’s Home pending further directions.
In her ruling, Akinyi directed that the students be taken to Mathare Mental Hospital on Monday, June 29, for the mental evaluations. She ordered that the reports be filed in court ahead of the next mention of the case.
The court also directed that parents, guardians and Children’s Officers be present during the next court session. In addition, each of the students must appear physically in court and be represented by legal counsel.
The case is expected to be brought up on July 1 by Judge Diana Kavedza.
The case was recently transferred from Naivasha to Kibera following safety concerns regarding the accused children and possible interference from high public emotions relating to the case.
The number of accused children has also been lowered from nine to eight following the withdrawal of the charges filed against one girl, claiming lack of sufficient evidence proving her involvement in the case.
The eight accused children have been charged following their involvement in the fire that killed 16 children at Utumishi Girls Academy, one of the most tragic cases in recent history.
The issue has continued receiving a lot of public attention amid the ongoing investigations, trials, and discussion on how to protect the safety of boarding schools and treat minor offenders.
