Tears flowed freely, screams rent the air, and prayers were recited as the painful process of identifying the 16 victims of the Utumishi Girls fire tragedy began at the Naivasha Sub-County Hospital mortuary.
Emotions ran high as relatives, friends, and even journalists struggled to come to terms with the tragedy, which has left many unanswered questions.
At the end of the exercise, only three of the 16 bodies were positively identified, with the rest having been burnt beyond recognition.
Despite the identification, the families of the three victims will have to wait for DNA testing to be completed on all the bodies before the State releases them for burial.
The development came as the government constituted a joint committee to plan the burial arrangements, including a joint memorial service at a venue yet to be determined.
According to one of the relatives, Njoke Thimba from Embu County, the bodies were severely burnt and badly mutilated, making identification extremely difficult.
Thimba, who lost a niece in the tragedy, appealed to the government to expedite the identification process to enable grieving families to find closure and lay their daughters to rest.
“Of the bodies, only three have been identified as the others were burnt beyond recognition, and we have been told that the identification process will take time,” he said.
He added government officers had informed them that a funeral committee had been formed and would work with the affected parents.
One of the Muslim family was in a dilemma after identifying their daughter’s body but cannot proceed with an immediate burial in accordance with Islamic tradition, as authorities require all DNA tests to be completed before releasing the bodies.
According to Sheikh Hussein Were from Gilgil, the family had been able to identify their daughter Zuhra Ramah but they had to wait for a DNA test and postmortem.
Were said that they fully respected the government decision but called for the release of the body so that she could be buried in the family’s home in Diani.
“We have been told that the DNA tests will take longer and we are wondering why the delay, yet we have positively identified our daughter,” she said.
Another parent Sheila Kipsion from Kericho told of the family’s agony after viewing the condition of the bodies.
She termed the experience as a scene from a bad horror movie adding that the bodies were in bad condition and totally unrecognisable.
“The condition of the bodies tells the whole story and the pain that our children went through and all that we are asking for is justice,” she said.
This was echoed by another relative, Lilian Kariuki, who described the incident as deeply painful, adding that it could take years for the families to come to terms with the tragedy.
“All that we are demanding is justice for the families so that those behind this incident can be a lesson to others,” she said.
A youth leader Joseph Kuria alleged that there was radicalisation in the school and called for vetting of students to avoid similar incidents in future.
“Some of these incidents are caused by radicalisation, and it’s time that the Ministry of Education addressed this issue before we lose more children,” he said.
Preliminary investigations have established that the fire at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil was an act of arson.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba, said that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is holding and questioning eight learners identified as persons of interest in connection with the incident.
The CS said investigators are working to establish the individual roles of the suspects in the planning and execution of the fire, adding that those found culpable will face charges in accordance with the law.
Ogamba added that investigations further established that the school failed to comply with safety requirements as outlined in the School Safety Manual and the Basic Education Regulations.
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