Detectives have detained more than 10 students from Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil as investigations intensify into the deadly dormitory fire that killed 16 learners and injured dozens more.
Police suspect the fire, which broke out at around 12:45am on Thursday, May 28, may have been an arson attack targeting the upper floor of one of the school dormitories.
According to investigators, at least 79 students sustained injuries during the incident, although 71 have since been treated and discharged from hospital.
Sources close to the investigation revealed that the detained students spent Thursday night under police watch inside one of the school blocks as detectives questioned them over possible links to the fire.
Authorities have also recalled several students who had left the school with parents and guardians to assist with ongoing investigations.
Detectives are pursuing multiple leads, including allegations by survivors that security lights within the school compound are routinely switched off every night at around 10:10pm.
Investigators are also probing claims that the dormitory may have been locked from the outside during the fire, potentially trapping students inside as the flames spread.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is further examining whether pressure related to upcoming examinations scheduled for Tuesday, June 2, could have played a role in the suspected arson.
Meanwhile, government pathologists involved in the probe disclosed that some of the bodies recovered from the burnt dormitory were severely charred, complicating identification efforts.