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The ill-fated dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy caught fire, claiming the lives of more than 15 students, leaving dozens injured on May 28, 2026.[Julius Chepkwony, Standard]
The dastardly act by students of Utumishi Girls Senior School of allegedly lighting a fire that led to the death of their 16 colleagues and injuries to many others is the worst news in the education sector in recent memory. It is unimaginable that at least 9 girls would agree to do so without any of them changing their minds or even leaking this information to their friends. The history of school strikes, their causes, and effects are well documented and have been there since independence. The focus of our discussion should, in my view, centre on preventive measures that should be in place to avoid future catastrophes of this nature by examining regulatory bodies that have failed the government. Banks are regulated by the Central Bank, universities by the Commission for University Education, police by IPOA, military by the military Police, the executive arm of government by, among others, the Controller of Budget and the Auditor General, technical education by CIDACC, and constitutional commissions by their commissioners, just to mention a few. Who regulates the Department of Basic Education?
