The government will provide KSh200,000 in compensation to each family of the 16 students who perished in the dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy.
Government spokesperson Isaac Mwaura announced on Saturday that the state will also assist the family of a mother who died in a road accident while traveling to the academy to check on her daughter.
Mwaura also stated that the government will bear all medical costs for the more than 79 students hospitalized following the incident.
“The government remains in solidarity with the families and the Utumishi Girls Academy community after the fire that resulted in the deaths of 16 students and one parent, with other students sustaining injuries,” Mwaura said.
“The state is committed to covering all hospital expenses and providing Ksh 200,000 to each grieving family, including that of the mother who died while attempting to retrieve her child,” he added.
Additionally, the government will cover funeral costs for all victims, encompassing mortuary fees, coffins, transportation of the bodies, and expenses for a requiem service at Utumishi Girls Academy, with the date to be determined later.
Mwaura reported that injured students were transported by air from St Joseph Hospital to Kenyatta National Hospital for specialized care, with the state covering all associated medical costs.
He refuted claims that the government had failed to fulfill its promises to the affected families, stating that all commitments remain valid and are currently progressing through required administrative and legal procedures.
“The national government, in collaboration with county authorities, remains fully dedicated to all promises made to the affected families, contrary to media reports. We are implementing the required administrative and legal processes to ensure these commitments are fulfilled,” Mwaura added.
This announcement arrives as families continue to grieve the victims of one of the most lethal school fires in recent memory.
The fire occurred after students reportedly set a dormitory ablaze, resulting in the deaths.
Victim families have identified their loved ones through DNA testing, while investigations into the students allegedly responsible for the incident are ongoing.