The Consortium of Secondary Schools Alumni Associations of Kenya (COSSAAK), the national federation of secondary school alumni associations, has called for provision of counselling and psychosocial support to the students, families, teachers and staff affected by the recent wave of dormitory fires in secondary schools across Kenya.
“The emotional and psychological state of learners can no longer be postponed. Schools must have systems capable of identifying distress, responding to concerns, and upholding the trust placed in them by families and the nation,” said COSSAAK President Maurice Nduranu.
In a detailed statement issued on 1st June 2026, COSSAAK said the fires, in particular the tragic dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, which killed 16 students and injured 79 others on 29th May 2026, have left hundreds of people in acute need of mental health care, and that this need must be met with the same urgency applied to the physical safety review of school buildings.
“Alumni are long-term custodians of school legacy, institutional memory, mentorship, public trust, and community support. We speak as stakeholders committed to the safety, dignity and holistic formation of learners,” said the federation’s Secretary General, Louise Nyamu-Steinbeck.
COSSAAK extended its heartfelt condolences to the parents, guardians, families, classmates, teachers, staff and alumnae grieving the lives lost and urged that all those affected receive appropriate medical care, clear communication and sustained psychosocial support during what it described as a deeply painful period.
The organisation said the health response must go beyond immediate crisis care.
Pointing to a pattern of fire incidents, including reports of further incidents at St Joseph’s Seminary Senior School in Molo, Nakuru County, St Paul’s Githakwa Secondary School in Tetu Sub-County, Nyeri County, and Lenana School in Nairobi, COSSAAK noted that where student distress, examination anxiety, peer pressure or unresolved grievances may be contributing factors, investing in mental health infrastructure is itself a prevention measure, not simply a response to tragedy.
COSSAAK said the Ministries of Education and Health must work hand in hand in the national response, urging that county health departments cannot continue to be brought in only after disaster strikes.
The organisation called for health authorities to be formally embedded in school safety frameworks as standing stakeholders, responsible for ongoing trauma care, psychosocial assessment and learner wellbeing support.
COSSAAK said it stands ready to work with national and county governments, health authorities, school communities, parents, students and community partners to strengthen learner welfare across Kenya and would issue a detailed stakeholder advisory on mental health support, emergency preparedness and learner wellbeing with member associations and education stakeholders in due course.
