Utumishi Girls parents reject planned reopening over safety concerns

The school's directive has triggered outrage among parents, who are now demanding an urgent consultative meeting with the institution's management and officials from the Ministry of Education before learners are allowed back.

The parents insist that critical safety concerns arising from the deadly dormitory fire that claimed the lives of 16 students must first be addressed.

Weeks after the tragic fire that shocked the nation, the school administration formally notified parents to prepare their daughters for the resumption of learning scheduled for next week.

In a letter issued earlier on Saturday by the school principal, parents were instructed to ensure their children report back with the necessary items, including bed sheets and blankets, personal effects, and money for school uniforms for those who require them.

However, rather than reassuring parents, the notice has reopened painful memories of the tragedy, with many arguing that the school is focusing on logistics while failing to address the fundamental issues surrounding the disaster.

Parents have since written to both the school principal and the Nakuru County Director of Education opposing the planned reopening and demanding that it be halted until meaningful consultations involving all stakeholders, including the Ministry of Education, are held.

In the letter, parents outlined four non-negotiable conditions that they say must be fulfilled before their children resume learning.

The parents are demanding a comprehensive safety inspection of all dormitories and school facilities, professional psychosocial counselling and mental health support for all Utumishi students, administrative accountability over the circumstances that led to the deadly fire, and a clear explanation of the dormitory emergency exit and door-locking procedures to guarantee students' safety.

The parents further warned that they would no longer tolerate what they described as poor crisis management.

"The era of business as usual at Utumishi is officially over. You cannot manage a crisis of this magnitude with cold logistics," the parents stated in their letter.

The parents have issued the school administration with a 24-hour ultimatum to respond, maintaining that unless their concerns are addressed through direct engagement, they will not allow their children to report back to school.