Kenya arrests 8 students suspected of arson over deadly school fire

NAIROBI - Kenyan authorities have arrested eight students on suspicion of arson over a fire at a girls' boarding school that killed 16 students, police said on Friday.

"Preliminary investigations have identified eight students as persons of interest in connection with the planning and execution of the suspected arson attack," the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said in a statement.

"The eight girls have since been arrested and are currently in police custody."

The fire at the Utumishi Girls' Academy Senior School in Gilgil in west-central Kenya broke out in the early hours of Thursday and also injured 79 students.

Fires are common at Kenyan schools, with over 100 recorded in 2024, according to the government.

Many fires are set off by students protesting harsh discipline and poor conditions, researchers have found.

(Reporting by George Obulutsa;Editing by Alexander Winning)

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:12 AM.