Kenyan prosecutors have approved murder charges against students allegedly linked to a deadly dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, which claimed the lives of 16 pupils and left several others injured.The fire, which broke out on May 28, tore through the upper floor of a dormitory housing more than 200 students.

The victims were aged between 15 and 18.

Police had earlier arrested several students after investigators suspected that the fire may have been deliberately started by setting mattresses ablaze near an exit.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said it reviewed the evidence gathered by investigators and approved charges against the implicated students.

“Upon careful assessment of the evidence, the Director of Public Prosecutions has approved charges against the implicated students,” the ODPP said.

According to the prosecution, the suspects will face 16 counts of murder arising from the deaths recorded in the incident.

Investigators said interviews with students and staff, as well as forensic review of CCTV footage, led to the identification of the suspects as persons of interest in the planning and execution of the fire.

The suspects are expected to be formally charged before a court in Naivasha.

Although earlier reports said eight students had been arrested, prosecutors did not immediately disclose the exact number of students to be charged.

Education officials said preliminary findings revealed multiple safety breaches at the school, including overcrowding in the dormitory and failure of an emergency exit to open when the fire broke out.

The dormitory reportedly contained 135 bunk beds and housed 202 students at the time of the incident.

The fire forced students to escape through a single doorway as the flames spread rapidly through the building.

Kenya’s education authorities and prosecutors have expressed concern over rising cases of arson and other criminal conduct in learning institutions across the country.

The ODPP warned that students and other persons found responsible for such acts would be held accountable under the law.

Kenya has recorded several deadly school fires over the years, many of them linked to arson, overcrowded dormitories, locked exits and poor compliance with safety guidelines.

Some previous incidents have been blamed on student unrest, harsh disciplinary measures, poor living conditions and negligence by school authorities.

The latest tragedy has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety standards in boarding schools, particularly around dormitory capacity, emergency exits and fire prevention measures.

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