By KPC Reporter
Senator Essy Okenyuri is among leaders across the country who have sent messages of condolence following the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County.
The inferno claimed the lives of at least 16 students and left dozens injured.
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In a heartfelt statement, the senator described the incident as a devastating national tragedy that had robbed the country of young lives filled with promise and ambition.
“With profound anguish and an immeasurable sense of sorrow, we woke up to the devastating news of the tragic fire outbreak at Utumishi Girls Academy Senior School, an incident that has painfully claimed the lives of young students and left several others nursing injuries,” Okenyuri said.
“This tragedy has cast a dark cloud of grief upon our nation, extinguishing young lives that embodied hope, promise, ambition and the limitless potential of tomorrow.”
The senator extended her sympathies to the bereaved families and wished a quick recovery to students receiving treatment after the overnight inferno.
“My deepest sympathies to the bereaved families whose daughters have perished in this calamity. The pain of losing a child is a burden too heavy to shoulder,” she said.
“Equally, my thoughts and prayers remain with the students who sustained injuries. I wish them strength, healing and a swift recovery as they undergo treatment and rehabilitation.”
President William Ruto also led the nation in mourning, describing the incident as an unimaginable tragedy that had shaken the country.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the families who have lost their beloved daughters in the tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil,” Ruto said.
“No words can truly ease the pain of losing young lives filled with promise, hope and dreams for the future.”
According to government reports, the fire broke out shortly after midnight in one of the school dormitories and raged for more than two hours.
At least 79 students were injured, with many treated and discharged as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
Senior government officials, including Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, his Education counterpart Migos Ogamba, and Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Mohamed Amin, visited the school on Thursday to assess the situation and condole with affected families.
“We express our heartfelt condolences to the families of the girls we lost in this painful incident and wish a quick recovery to the injured,” Murkomen said during the visit.
Okenyuri called for urgent action to strengthen safety standards in schools, saying the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for authorities to reinforce protection measures for learners across the country.
“Schools must forever remain secure sanctuaries of learning, nurturing and protection, where parents can confidently entrust the lives and futures of their children,” she said.
“It is therefore important that relevant authorities undertake immediate, comprehensive and transparent investigations into the circumstances surrounding this inferno so that the cause of the fire is established.”
The tragedy has reignited national debate over fire safety and emergency preparedness in Kenyan boarding schools following a series of deadly dormitory fires reported in recent years.
