The tragedy at Utumishi Girls’ Academy in Gilgil has entered a painful new chapter, as authorities confirmed that DNA testing has successfully identified all 16 students who died in a dormitory fire last month.
For grieving families, the confirmation brought both relief and renewed anguish. Many had waited days at the Naivasha Sub-County Mortuary, hoping science would give them certainty where the fire left none.
According to officials from the Directorate of Government Chemist, forensic experts matched blood swabs, bone fragments and tissue samples with DNA from parents. The process, they said, was completed after a week of analysis.
“All the samples have matched,” said Dr Joseph Kimani, a government forensic scientist, noting that the results were handed over to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations for further procedures. “The identification process is complete.”
The fire, which broke out on 28 May at Utumishi Girls’ Academy, killed the students in circumstances that officials say are still under investigation. Authorities have previously indicated that several students are suspected to have been involved in starting the blaze, though inquiries are ongoing.
Lead pathologist Dr Titus Ngurungu said most of the bodies were severely burned, leaving little visual evidence for identification. “DNA was essential in these cases,” he said, describing the remains as badly damaged by hours of intense heat.
Inside the mortuary grounds, emotions have run high. Parents who had camped outside the facility were called in one by one to confirm the results, many leaving in tears after identifying their children.
For some families, the process ended with formal closure. A Muslim family was allowed to collect their daughter for immediate burial in Kwale, in line with Islamic rites.
But even after identification, tensions have emerged between families and the state over burial arrangements. Authorities have proposed a collective requiem service scheduled for mid-June, a move that many parents have rejected.
“We are hurting. We just want to take our children home,” said one parent, Parisoi Ole Maripet, whose daughter died in the blaze. “Delays only deepen the pain.”
John Muiruri, another parent, echoed the frustration. “We have already identified them. There is no reason to hold them any longer.”
In response, Gilgil Sub-County Deputy County Commissioner Stanley Langat said an inter-agency team had met to review the concerns raised. He added that families would be informed if there were any changes to the planned burial arrangements.
As the dispute continues, the confirmed identities mark a grim milestone in a tragedy that has shaken the country’s education system and raised fresh questions about safety, discipline, and accountability in boarding schools.
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