More than 10 students from Utumishi Girls Academy are being held by detectives as investigations continue into the dormitory fire that killed 16 students and injured dozens of others in Nakuru.
Police suspect the Thursday morning fire may have been started deliberately, with investigators now treating the incident as a possible arson case.
The fire occurred on May 28, at approximately 12:45 am, consuming part of the top floor of one of the dormitories within the school complex, and trapping many of the students.
It is said that at least 79 students were injured by the raging fire, though all but eight of them have been released from the hospitals.
During investigations, the police reportedly questioned the students isolated inside one of the school buildings overnight on Thursday.
Additionally, some of the learners who have already left school premises accompanied by their parents or legal guardians have been called back to aid with the investigations.
Investigations are currently being carried out following some of the clues found by the detectives working on the case.
One of the clues under consideration is the allegation made by some of the students that the security lights in the school premises are always put off every day at 10:10 pm.
Additionally, there have been allegations made that the dormitory where the fire started was locked up from the outside; a scenario that could easily have led to the entrapment of some of the learners.
Further investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigation into whether the pressure caused by upcoming examinations may have triggered the suspected arson attack is underway.
The pupils had an examination which was due on Tuesday, June 2.
It should be noted that a government pathologist who was involved in the investigations has said that some of the bodies discovered in the process were badly burned and hard to identify for the victims’ relatives.
When the tragic event occurred, there were 815 girls studying in the school, and 808 were found within the premises when the blaze occurred.
Seven girls, whose whereabouts were unknown during that period, were not in school.
Speaking after visiting the school, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba urged the public to avoid speculation as investigations continue.
“Let’s not be speculative at this stage. We have a school safety manual that all schools adhere to. Let’s wait and see if the manual was adhered to after the investigation,” Ogamba said.
The incident has once again raised concerns about safety standards in boarding schools, with grieving families and shocked residents now demanding answers over how the deadly fire happened.