DCI Identifies Seven Students Linked to Deadly Utumishi Girls Dormitory Fire

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has identified seven students believed to have been involved in the arson attack that led to the deaths of 16 students at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School in Gilgil, Nakuru County.

In an update on the ongoing investigations, the DCI said a breakthrough was achieved following an extensive review of CCTV footage recovered from the school and enhanced forensic analysis conducted at the agency’s Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory.

The fire, which broke out on Thursday, May 28, claimed the lives of 16 students and left the school community in mourning.

According to the DCI, investigators were able to positively identify the students captured on CCTV footage as having lit the fire before escaping from the scene.

“Following the on-going in-depth investigation into the tragic fire incident that occurred on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Utumishi Girls Senior Secondary School in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in which sixteen students lost their lives, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has achieved significant progress and a major breakthrough,” the statement said.

The agency revealed that six of the identified students had previously been arrested during the investigations and were later released to their parents after recording statements. The seventh student is yet to be apprehended.

“Further analysis of the CCTV footage, conducted in collaboration with teachers, has enabled the investigation team to confirm the identity of seven students who participated in the arson before escaping the scene. Of the eight suspects previously arrested, six have been positively identified and confirmed through the footage. The seventh identified student was among those earlier released to their parents and is currently not in custody. Efforts are now underway to trace and arrest her,” the DCI said.

The latest revelations come as postmortem examinations on the bodies of the victims confirmed that all 16 students died from severe burns sustained during the inferno.

The examinations were conducted at Naivasha Sub-County Referral Hospital Mortuary by a team of pathologists led by Dr Dorothy Njeri.

The DCI said families of the victims were allowed to view the bodies of their loved ones and received psychosocial support from the Kenya Red Cross while DNA reference samples were collected to facilitate formal identification due to the extent of the burns.

The investigative agency thanked parents, students, teachers and members of the public for their cooperation during the probe and appealed to anyone with additional information to come forward.

“The DCI remains committed to conducting a thorough, professional and impartial inquiry to deliver justice for the victims and their families,” the agency said.

Investigators have not yet disclosed the motive behind the suspected arson attack, but said further updates will be provided as the investigations progress.