One of the survivors of the tragic fire that gutted the Utumishi Girls Senior School dormitory has shared harrowing details of the incident and expressed anger at the behavior of students allegedly involved in starting the blaze that took the lives of 16 students.
Joy Wanjiku, a Grade 10 learner who survived the inferno, spoke emotionally while visiting the family of her late friend, Precious, one of the students who died in the disaster. Joy travelled to Nakuru from Nairobi to offer her condolences and stand with the grieving family.
During the visit, Joy said she was deeply hurt by reports that some students linked to the incident seemed unbothered by the tragedy even after the loss of so many young lives.
Some of the suspects, she said, were reportedly seen celebrating and hugging each other shortly after the incident, a behavior she called disturbing and insensitive given the pain families were going through.
Joy called on officials to ensure that those held accountable face an appropriate legal response, saying justice must be done for the victims and their loved ones.
The student described her late friend Precious as a caring, intelligent learner who was ever willing to help her classmates. She remembered how much Precious had helped her with math, and how she was a big part of bringing students together through friendship and team work.
Besides calling for accountability, Joy, for her part, expressed safety concerns in some areas of the school. The fire may have been more serious because of the over-crowding and the lack of escape routes, she said.
She said one of the affected dormitory cubicles had poor ventilation and a single exit, and it was difficult for students to evacuate quickly when the fire broke out.
She urged education authorities to improve safety measures in boarding schools, including increasing the number of emergency exits, installing more firefighting equipment, improving access to water and conducting regular inspections of student accommodation facilities.
Joy also commended staff and others who responded quickly during the emergency and said their efforts saved many lives and prevented an even greater tragedy.
As the investigation continues, families and education stakeholders are demanding answers over what led to the deadly fire and whether there were sufficient safety measures in place. The tragedy has spurred renewed national debate on student welfare, school infrastructure and the need for tighter safety standards at learning institutions across the country.icter safety standards in learning institutions across the country.
