The death of at least 16 students after a fire ripped through a dormitory at the Utumishi Girls Senior School has renewed concern about fire safety in Kenyan schools, with insurers raising alarm over the prevalent risks.

The fire broke out just after midnight at the girls’ boarding school in Gilgil, Nakuru and burned for more than two hours, said Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos.

Authorities said the cause of the fire had not been established by on Thursday, though some students suspected of arson were detained by police. At least 97 other students were injured in the fire, which was contained by 3am.

Overcrowding in dormitories and the failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, have frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties and the reluctance by insurers to cover school fires, says the Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI).

The safety breaches including absence of valuation of assets like dormitories and budget constraints, have seen schools struggle to tap insurance against fire.

In a recent industry assessment, AKI also identified improper financial documentation as a barrier to coverage, making it difficult for insurers to design suitable covers.

The findings have exposed the growing difficulty schools face in securing comprehensive fire insurance despite recurrent dormitory blazes that lead to deaths, injuries and massive property losses.

“Many schools lack basic safety infrastructure such as fire extinguishers, perimeter fencing, and accessible emergency exits. In addition, some fail to maintain updated asset registers, staff lists, and other critical records,” noted AKI.

“This inadequate documentation complicates underwriting, pricing, and claim processing, and increases insurers’ exposure.”

The government-owned Utumishi Girls Senior School is managed and sponsored by the Kenya Police Service. Many of the students are the daughters of police officers.

The victims had not yet been identified at the time of going to press, a source of anger and frustration for some of the parents who gathered at the scene.

Dozens were still waiting to confirm their children were not among the victims of the fire.

Fires at schools have been a cause of concern for education officials, with classrooms and dormitories often crowded and no firefighting equipment in place. Officials sometimes cite poor electrical connections as sparking blazes.

The failure to follow safety guidelines, such as keeping exits clear and windows unlocked, has frequently been blamed for the high number of casualties and has emerged as a concern for insurers.

The latest deadly blaze came after a string of other fires at Kenya’s boarding schools.

In 2024, 21 children died when a fire ripped through the dormitory of Hillside Endarasha Academy in Nyeri, housing over 300 students.

In 2017, 10 students died in a fire at Moi Girls’ School in Nairobi.

Kenya’s deadliest such blaze occurred in 2001, when students set fire to Kyanguli Secondary School in Machakos, killing 67 of their colleagues, according to a 2016 report by a government-appointed investigation team.

The recurring incidents have triggered public outrage and legal battles over accountability and compensation.

Insurers say that underwriting assessments for schools focus on key risk factors that include the age and design of buildings, dormitory occupancy capacity, fire escape routes, proximity to emergency response services, as well as general housekeeping and safety management practices.

Schools failing in such inspections either attract significantly higher premiums or struggle to secure adequate fire protection cover from insurers wary of mounting claims exposure.

“Before insurance cover can be extended, insurers typically require schools to demonstrate compliance with essential fire safety and risk mitigation measures,” Lenard Chirchir, the Britam General Insurance chief operating officer, told the Business Daily.

“Schools with strong risk management frameworks and proven safety standards generally attract more favourable insurance terms and pricing.”

For an institution that fully complies with the required safety standards, Britam says the risk profile would be standard, with premiums ranging from 0.15 percent to 0.375 percent of the building value.

“However, insurance pricing will still vary depending on factors such as the replacement value of the building, geographical location, occupancy levels, construction materials used, and the scope of cover required,” said Mr Chirchir.

Insurers rely on professional valuation reports to determine the replacement cost of buildings and property, but many schools either lack updated records or use outdated estimates prepared years earlier.

This has given rise to underinsurance, which occurs when the declared value of insured assets falls below the real market replacement cost, exposing institutions to major financial shortfalls after catastrophic losses.

Industry data shows many schools also struggle to meet annual insurance premiums due to shrinking capitation allocations, delayed fee payments by parents and rising operational expenses.

This has pushed some institutions to either take partial coverage, delay renewals or avoid comprehensive fire insurance altogether, leaving critical infrastructure exposed to catastrophic losses.

The government has in recent years issued multiple directives requiring schools to improve dormitory spacing and emergency exits, as well as firefighting equipment, following previous fatal fire incidents.

Enforcement has, however, remained inconsistent, with many institutions struggling to finance costly infrastructure upgrades amid growing pressure on education budgets.

The insurance industry notes that many schools still approach fire insurance as a compliance requirement rather than a risk management tool tied to infrastructure and student safety.

Follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest business and markets updates