There was panic and smoke at St. Joseph Seminary Boys School in Nakuru County after fire broke out and destroyed two dormitories in yet another worrying school fire incident that ended without loss of life.
The incident happened on Sunday, May 31, 2026, drawing a fast response from emergency teams who rushed to the institution as flames spread through part of the boarding section.
“Earlier today, the Kenya Red Cross, together with multi-agency partners, responded to a fire at St. Joseph Seminary Boys School in Nakuru County. The fire was contained by the Timsales Company Fire Brigade, Nakuru County Disaster Response Team and Kenya Red Cross first responders. Two dormitories (86-bed capacity) were destroyed. No casualties or fatalities were reported,” Kenya Red Cross confirmed.
What started as an emergency quickly turned into a scene of destruction, with two dormitories reduced to burnt frames and ashes. Students were left surveying the damage, with their belongings, mattresses, uniforms, books and personal items completely lost in the blaze.
The incident adds to a growing list of recent school fires in the country. Just days before, Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, suffered a deadly dormitory fire that claimed students’ lives and left others injured, sending shockwaves across the country.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Thursday, May 28, 2026, and rapidly engulfed a dormitory housing hundreds of students, many of them asleep at the time.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, who addressed the media at the scene, confirmed the scale of the tragedy and the composition of the student population at the institution.
The Ministry of Education and emergency responders confirmed that at least 16 students died in the inferno, while about 79 others were injured, with the majority later discharged after treatment. Several students, however, remained under medical care due to the severity of their injuries, according to official updates from emergency agencies.
A total of about 220 students were in the affected dormitory area at the time of the fire, which began while the girls were asleep.
Reports from rescue teams further indicated that some dormitory exits were locked at the time of the fire, a factor that may have worsened the scale of casualties and injuries as students struggled to escape.
As investigations continue at St. Joseph Seminary Boys School, attention now turns to what caused the fire and whether it could have been prevented.
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