Utumishi Girls fire raises school safety concerns, were deaths preventable?

Added: 2026-05-30

[00:00:00]Tonight, the country is once again confronting painful questions of a school safety following the tragic fire incident at Automi Girl's Academy in Gilgill, Nakuru County. But beyond the flames, grief, and destruction, now lies a deeper national concern. While these deaths preventable, even as investigations begin, past government audit reports paint a troubling picture of schools that are poorly prepared for fire disasters, safety standards that are rarely enforced, and institutions operating without critical emergency measures meant to protect learners.

[00:00:34]NTV's Ashley Atiano reports.

[00:00:40]The screams may have faded, but the scars left behind at Tutumishi Girls Academy now reopen painful questions Kenya has confronted for years after every deadly school fire.

[00:00:52]>> Tell me whe she's >> and as investigations begin, attention is now turning to whether the affected dotory met the fire safety standards outlined by the Ministry of Education.

[00:01:06]Because according to the 2008 safety standards manual for schools, a standard domator is supposed to meet strict emergency safety requirements designed to save lives during disasters. Beds should be spaced at least 1.2 m apart to allow movement during evacuation. Escape corridors should be at least 2 m wide.

[00:01:29]Domator exits should be wide enough and doors must open outward to prevent stampedes during panic situations.

[00:01:37]Windows should open outward and must not have grills that could trap students inside during emergencies. Every exit point should have operational fire extinguishers while fire alarms should be installed in accessible locations.

[00:01:51]Evacuation maps should also be displayed throughout school buildings while schools are expected to conduct regular fire drills with the assistance of county fire officers.

[00:02:03]>> But the footage captured after the Utishi Girls Academy fire appeared to show windows fitted with metal grills despite the safety manual explicitly warning against them. Safety experts now say many institutions continue treating compliance as a formality rather than a life-saving obligation.

[00:02:23]>> We'll tell you that it is it was out of negligence, >> out of nonadherence to the established standards. It is out of neglect of duty.

[00:02:36]For instance, Migos Oamba has failed to establish the education standards and quality assurance council.

[00:02:44]>> But this is not a new concern. A performance audit by the auditor general found widespread fire safety gaps in 42 secondary schools sampled across five counties. None had properly displayed evacuation maps. Many lacked essential firefighting equipment and several had poor emergency preparedness systems.

[00:03:05]Some domeitories were also found to have inward opening doors and limited escape routes posing serious risks during emergencies.

[00:03:16]The report further highlighted overcrowding with some schools exceeding approved capacity and using tightly packed double and triple decka beds without adequate spacing.

[00:03:29]Then in 2024, following the Hillside and Arashia Academy fire tragedy that killed 21 students, a nationwide inspection revealed deeper concerns. 348 schools were found unfit for boarding due to violations including grilled windows, overcrowded domitories, faulty equipment, and illegal structural modifications.

[00:03:52]And tonight, as grieving families await answers and investigators sift through the remains of Utumishi Girls Academy, the tragedy is once again forcing the country to confront difficult questions.

[00:04:05]If safety standards already existed, if previous audits repeatedly exposed the scaps, and if nationwide inspections already identified schools violating regulations, then why do the same failures continue appearing after every school fire tragedy?

[00:04:23]Ashley Ateno, NTV.

[00:04:27]All right.