Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru county/FELI

Utumishi Girls Academy, the Gilgil-based institution where a deadly dormitory fire occurred on Thursday, is one of the newest national police-sponsored schools in Kenya.

The school was officially opened on July 15, 2021, by former Deputy Inspector General of Police Edward Mbugua as part of efforts to expand access to quality education for children of police officers and other Kenyans.

Located about 3.4 kilometres from the Nakuru–Naivasha highway, the institution sits in a quiet and remote area surrounded by hills, away from the bustle of major towns.

The school is also situated not far from its sister institution, Utumishi Boys' Academy.

At the entrance near the administration block, the school’s motto, “Greatness in Humility,” is clearly displayed on a large board alongside its mission statement.

The mission reads: “To empower the girl child all round through academics, co-curricular activities, mentorship and moulding.”

The words reflect the institution’s vision of nurturing disciplined and academically competitive learners while also focusing on mentorship and character development.

Over the years, the academy has grown rapidly, with modern dormitories, classrooms and ongoing infrastructure expansion aimed at accommodating increasing student enrolment.

The dormitory that caught fire, Meline Waithera Block, carries deep personal significance to the school’s founder and the police fraternity.

Waithera died at the age of 25 following a road accident involving two matatus in Nairobi in 2021.

Her memory remains visible within the institution, where the dormitory stood as a tribute to her life.

Outside the dormitory compound is a small memorial garden established on November 4, 2022, in honour of Mbugua and his vision for the institution.

The garden, though modest, has become one of the symbolic landmarks within the school.

Next to the burnt dormitory stands another occupied dormitory, while a third is still under construction as part of ongoing expansion works at the academy.

The proximity of the buildings has now raised questions among investigators and safety experts about emergency access, evacuation planning and fire preparedness within the school.

Following the fire, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) homicide unit and officers from the Government Chemist department visited the institution to begin investigations into the cause of the inferno and assist in identifying the bodies.

The incident has also renewed scrutiny of safety standards in boarding schools across the country.

Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said investigations would establish whether the school complied with the national school safety manual and other fire safety regulations.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who visited the school, described the incident as a devastating national tragedy that has deeply affected the police fraternity and the country at large.

“Most of the children who attend school here are children of our officers serving in the National Police Service. As a ministry and family, we stand with everyone,” Murkomen said. The Star