The blaze broke out shortly after midnight on Thursday while students were asleep inside the crowded dormitory, which housed around 220 girls. Panic spread quickly as students rushed to escape, leading to chaos and injuries during the evacuation.

Kenya’s Education Minister Julius Migos said the fire burned for more than two hours before it was brought under control. Authorities confirmed that 79 students were injured, although most of them were later discharged from hospital after receiving treatment.

Television footage from the scene showed smoke-blackened walls and shattered windows, while distressed parents and relatives gathered outside the school searching for information about their children.

Investigators have not yet established the cause of the fire. School fires remain a recurring problem in Kenya, where authorities recorded more than 100 incidents in 2024 alone. Researchers say some of the fires in boarding schools have previously been linked to student protests over harsh discipline and poor living conditions.

The tragedy has once again raised concerns over student safety and emergency preparedness in Kenyan boarding schools.