The founder of Utumishi Girls Senior School, Edward Mbugua, has called on the government to phase out boarding schools while acknowledging failures that contributed to the deaths of 16 learners in the tragic fire at the institution.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

Speaking during a requiem mass in Gilgil on Friday, June 12, the former Deputy Inspector General of Police urged the government to reconsider the boarding school model amid a rise in school fire incidents across the country.

“We should have day schools. Those dormitories can be converted to workshops for training,” Mbugua advised.

According to Mbugua, the Ministry of Education should focus on improving the quality and performance of day schools across the country to discourage parents from taking their children to schools far from home.

📌 What You Need to Know

Data from the Ministry of Education indicates that Kenya has between 3,000 and 4,000 secondary boarding schools, while the majority of the country's more than 7,000 secondary schools operate either strictly as day schools or as institutions with limited boarding facilities.

The calls for reform come hours after the Kenya Red Cross released data showing that 47 schools have reported fire incidents since January 2026. Of these, 16 were recorded after the tragic Utumishi Girls fire.

The Kenya Red Cross further reported that 187 people have been treated for injuries linked to school fire incidents this year, including 132 from the Utumishi tragedy alone.

According to Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos, the ministry has received reports of unrest from 204 senior schools, with day schools remaining largely unaffected.

Mbugua also called on the government to reconsider the boys-only and girls-only school system, arguing that learners should be educated together. “Even at home we don’t separate boys and girls. I recommend they be trained together,” Mbugua said.

The school founder did not mince his words while reflecting on the failures that led to the deaths of the 16 students.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke