Eight students from Utumishi Girls Academy will be presented before the High Court in Nairobi on June 26, 2026, for plea-taking after Naivasha court approved their transfer following investigations into the dormitory fire that claimed the lives of students.
In a ruling delivered on June 24, Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Lorot allowed the prosecution’s application to hold the eight minors for an additional two days before they are arraigned before the High Court in Nairobi on June 26, 2026.
“There shall be orders extending the detention of the 8 remaining suspects for a further 2 days, and the 8 suspects shall be presented for plea on 26th June 2026,” read part of the judgement.
However, the court ordered the release of one of the students and directed that she be handed over to her parents or guardians.
Court Allows Transfer of Eight Utumishi Girls Students to Nairobi for Plea-Taking
The decision followed an application by the prosecution seeking a two-day extension of detention orders issued on June 3, when nine students were placed at the Nakuru Children’s Remand Home to allow investigators to complete inquiries into the deadly dormitory fire.
According to the prosecution, credible intelligence reports revealed that the suspects faced heightened security risks and public hostility in the area where the deaths occurred, necessitating the transfer of the proceedings to Nairobi.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) told the court that investigations had been substantially concluded and that there was sufficient evidence to charge eight of the nine students who had initially been detained.
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In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Lorot held that the application before the court concerned the extension of detention and not the transfer of a criminal case, noting that formal charges had not yet been filed.
He further observed that decisions on where to institute criminal proceedings fall within the constitutional mandate of the Director of Public Prosecutions, while any objections to the trial venue can be raised before the High Court once charges are formally presented.
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Lawyers representing victims’ families opposed the move, arguing that the plea should have been taken immediately in Naivasha and raising concerns about the additional costs that families would incur by travelling to Nairobi for court proceedings.
Defence lawyers also questioned the justification for relocating the matter, maintaining that security agencies had adequately protected the suspects and that the High Court in Naivasha was capable of handling the case.
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