GILGIL — Hundreds of mourners gathered in Gilgil, Kenya, on Friday for a memorial service. The service honored 16 students who died last month in a fire at Utumishi Girls Academy.

Police stated the fire was caused by arson. Authorities arrested nine suspects in connection with the incident, and police interrogations revealed the May 28 fire was ignited by lighting a dormitory exit mattress with a matchstick and paraffin. Nine students accused of starting the fire remain in police custody, but no motive for the fire has been disclosed.

Kenya's Education Ministry suspended the principal of the academy last month. The suspension was for noncompliance with fire safety regulations. Kenyan first lady Rachel Ruto attended the memorial service.

"The pain of losing them is one that we will carry for a long time." School captain Abigael Wanjiku said. Students from the academy sang a hymn during the service.

A parent representative at the memorial service called for accountability and justice. The representative reassured surviving students that ensuring student safety remains a priority. A presiding bishop at the service asked how long Kenyan children and families will continue to experience school fires. A presiding official also stated they survived a 2001 school fire in Machakos County that resulted in the deaths of 67 students.

The Kenya Red Cross reported responding to 37 school fires in the country since the beginning of the year. Dozens of Kenyan schools have closed recently due to student unrest. The Education Ministry closed more than 300 schools following a 2024 fire in central Kenya that killed 21 students. School fires in Kenya are attributed to student protests over disciplinary measures or examinations, or to electrical faults. Congested dormitories, insufficient emergency exits, and inadequate firefighting equipment have contributed to casualties and structural damage in Kenyan school fires.