There was heavy security at the Naivasha Law Courts on Tuesday as nine students linked to the deadly Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire were arraigned.
The fire, which broke out on May 28, 2026, at the school in Gilgil, Nakuru County, claimed the lives of 16 students, while seven others remain admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital with burn injuries.
The prosecution is seeking to detain the students for 30 days pending the completion of investigations.
The court is expected to deliver its ruling on the application on June 3.
Photos by Antony Gitonga
Detectives investigating the incident have positively identified seven students suspected of involvement in the arson attack through forensic analysis of CCTV footage, which has since circulated widely online.
In an update over the weekend, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said it had made significant progress in the probe and was pursuing an eighth student who had initially been released.
“After conducting a thorough, detailed forensic analysis of the CCTV footage recovered from the school, coupled with enhanced review at the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory at DCI National Police Service Forensics Laboratory, a positive identification of the students who lit the fire has been realised”, the DCI said in a statement Sunday.
“ Further analysis of the CCTV footage, conducted in collaboration with the 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”, it added.
