The Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU) has called for urgent nationwide inspections of all schools following a deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County that left 16 students dead and dozens injured.
In a press statement released on May 28, 2026, KEHPHPU, led by National Secretary General and CEO Brown Ashira Olaly, expressed condolences to the affected families and described the incident as a “dark and heartbreaking moment for the nation.”
According to the union, 79 students were injured in the early morning fire, with 71 treated and discharged, while seven remain hospitalized at St. Joseph Hospital and KDF Hospital.
KEHPHPU said the tragedy exposes long-standing gaps in school safety systems, public health enforcement, and emergency preparedness in learning institutions across the country.
The union is now demanding the immediate deployment of Public Health Officers (PHOs) to all schools to conduct mandatory health and safety audits, enforce compliance with public health standards, and strengthen emergency response systems.
It emphasized that Public Health Officers have a legal mandate under the Public Health Act to oversee safety measures such as emergency exits, occupancy limits, ventilation, sanitation, and fire preparedness.
KEHPHPU also raised concern over what it termed the “clinicalization” of public health functions, arguing that preventive health and safety enforcement in schools must remain under qualified public health professionals rather than clinical services.
Additionally, the union called for strict accountability, urging authorities to take disciplinary and criminal action against any individuals or institutions found to have violated safety regulations or contributed to negligence.
“Kenya can no longer afford to treat the safety and wellbeing of learners as an afterthought,” the statement read, adding that strengthening preventive public health systems is now a national necessity.
KEHPHPU affirmed its readiness to work with government agencies to implement nationwide inspections and enhance safety standards in all learning institutions.
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