Wiper leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has mourned the students who lost their lives following a tragic fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, describing the incident as heartbreaking and devastating for the nation.
In a statement, Kalonzo said the country had lost precious girls full of dreams, full of promise, full of life.
Kalonzo conveyed his condolences to the bereaved families, saying no words could adequately comfort them during such a painful moment.
“With a heart weighed down by profound grief, I join all Kenyans in mourning the precious lives of the young girls taken from us in the devastating fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil. They were daughters, sisters, and friends; precious girls full of dreams, full of promise, full of life,” he said.
“Today, their families are shattered, and we weep together with them. To the bereaved families: there are no words adequate for this moment. I stand with you, and I hold you in my heart and in my prayers.”
Kalonzo also wished the injured students a quick recovery, praying that they would feel the support and compassion of the nation as they healed.
He called on leaders attending the National Prayer Breakfast to ensure that their prayers are matched with decisive action aimed at improving safety in schools.
“Today, as the political leadership gathers for the National Prayer Breakfast, I call upon them not to let today’s prayers end in that hall. Let them translate into urgent and decisive action,” he said.
“As leaders, we will be judged not by what we said in prayer this morning, but by what we did for the least of these in the days that follow.”
Kalonzo urged the country to honour the lives lost by taking concrete measures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds,” he added, quoting Psalm 147:3.
Kenya Red Cross responded to a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, where several students are feared dead.
The fire is said to have broken out at around 1 am and was reported at approximately 3.30 am on Thursday, according to the Kenya Red Cross.
In a statement, Kenya Red Cross said: “Following a fire incident reported at around 3:30am at Utumishi Girls Academy in Nakuru County, Kenya Red Cross responded to support the ongoing emergency response.”
Response operations are ongoing as emergency teams assess the situation and support affected students. Authorities have not yet released further details as investigations into the cause of the fire continue.
Rift Valley Regional Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi said the teams had not accounted for at least ten students.
“Our teams are on the ground to gather more and account for all the students as part of the probe into this incident. We have casualties and the families have to be informed first,” he said.
Parents streamed to the school gates in large numbers as news of the tragedy spread across Gilgil and neighbouring areas, with police restricting access and only allowing parents into the compound while investigations and rescue operations continued.
