At least 15 students killed after fire breaks out at boarding school in Kenya

Gilgil dormitory fire kills 10 students at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County

Video by Julius Chepkwony pic.twitter.com/dU0jUy25ti

— The Standard Digital (@StandardKenya) May 28,2026

A fire at a girls’ school in central Kenya has killed more than a dozen students as they slept.

The fire began at Utumishi Girls School,about 80 miles west of Nairobi,early this morning.

Police said search teams had been deployed to account for all students,and the Kenyan Red Cross said they’re on the ground.

The fire broke out early in the morning in the boarding school’s accommodation section,and the cause has not yet been established.

School fires are common in Kenyan boarding schools,with some caused by arson and others by electrical faults.

Police commander Masoud Mwinyi said: ‘It is a sad and saddening situation.’

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Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.Students are receiving treatment at a local hospitalMwinyi told local media that some students had been taken to hospital for injuries,and the school is cordoned off.In 2023,a large fire at a school dormitory in Guyana killed 19 children and injured several others.Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at .For more stories like this,check our news page.