28/05/2026
We are deeply saddened by the tragedy affecting the Utumishi Girls community.
Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their beloved children, to the students, teachers, school leadership, and to every person carrying the unimaginable weight of grief and trauma at this time. There are simply no words sufficient for such loss. Parents are not meant to bury their children, and no school community should ever have to endure pain of this magnitude.
As the Kenya Association of International Schools, we stand in solidarity with the entire Utumishi Girls fraternity during this profoundly difficult period. We pray for comfort for grieving families, healing for those injured or traumatised, and strength for all those now navigating the painful aftermath of this tragedy.
We also call upon schools, parents, alumni, counsellors, corporate partners, and the wider public to support the school community in whatever way possible. Whether through counselling support, financial assistance, logistical help, blood donation, messages of encouragement, or simply standing present with compassion and humanity, every act of support matters.
This tragedy is also a painful reminder that disaster preparedness, safeguarding systems, crisis communication protocols, and emergency response capacity within schools can no longer be treated as secondary matters. As a country, we must urgently deepen conversations around student safety, institutional preparedness, mental health response systems, infrastructure safety, and coordinated emergency management within learning institutions.
Moments such as these remind us that schools are not just centres of learning. They are homes, communities, and places entrusted with the lives, hopes, and futures of our children.
May the souls of the departed rest in eternal peace, and may those left behind find strength, comfort, and healing in the days ahead.
Jane Mwangi, OGW
Head of Secretariat
