The Naivasha magistrate ordered that nine girls from Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil stay in custody at Nakuru Children’s Remand Home for 21 days.
When he ruled on the prosecution’s request to remand the girls, Chief Magistrate Abdulqadir Ramathan said the court should limit the detention period to 21 days to allow investigators to complete their work.
He also denied the minors’ application for release on bond or bail, saying the prosecution presented convincing reasons. In its application, the prosecution argued that detectives still needed additional time to finish investigations, including locating and recording statements from key witnesses reportedly scattered across different parts of the country.
The prosecution added that early findings suggested the investigation could suffer if the suspects secured bail or bond.
The court case follows the suspects’ account of their motive to detectives. They said they protested changes to the examination calendar, the school’s decision to charge them for a cultural event, and alleged peer influence after a neighbouring boys’ school went on strike.
They further claimed that they planned to torch the dormitory at 9 p.m. and carried it out three hours later.
The case will be mentioned on June 24, 2026.
