CCTV footage recorded moments before the devastating fire that swept through a dormitory at Utumishi Girls Academy in Gilgil, Nakuru County, claiming the lives of 16 students and leaving dozens of others injured.
The footage is now at the centre of investigations with detectives looking into events leading up to the inferno that struck in the early hours of Thursday morning, May 28.
According to investigators, the events unfolded at around 12:10 a.m. when five students quietly walked into the dormitory while most occupants were asleep.
The footage shows the group making its way to Cube 11, where they briefly stopped before proceeding further into the dormitory. Detectives noted that throughout the movement, the students did not appear to exchange any words.
One of the students is seen attempting to conceal her face from the surveillance cameras while carrying a slipper, which investigators believe may have been intended to help muffle footsteps as they moved through the dormitory.
Moments later, three of the students are seen quickly moving toward the dormitory entrance, leaving two others behind.
It is these two students, investigators say, who allegedly ignited the first fire.
The CCTV footage reportedly captures the pair striking a matchbox before calmly walking away toward the exit.
But the first blaze was only the beginning.
Investigators say the students then moved toward another section of the dormitory where mattresses were stored and started a second fire. This time, the flames spread more rapidly.
After confirming that the fires had taken hold, the suspects are seen leaving the dormitory without raising an alarm, according to investigators.
Within minutes, smoke and flames began spreading through the building.
By 12:13 a.m., panic had erupted inside the dormitory as students woke up to thick smoke and growing flames. Some are seen attempting to understand what was happening while others scrambled to find a way out.
The situation deteriorated rapidly.
Investigators say that within five minutes, the fire had engulfed large sections of the dormitory, turning the sleeping quarters into a death trap as terrified students desperately searched for an escape route.
Preliminary findings indicate the blaze was deliberately started near the dormitory’s main entrance, the primary evacuation point for students.
Detectives further allege that kerosene had been smeared around the entrance area, causing the flames to spread quickly and effectively cutting off the main escape route.
As the inferno intensified, many students found themselves trapped inside.
The fire claimed the lives of 16 students, while 79 others sustained injuries as they attempted to escape the burning building.
Investigators say 10 of the victims were found near the entrance, where the fire is believed to have started, while six others died deeper inside the dormitory.
Eight students have been arrested in connection with the fire.
According to DCI, investigators conducted an enhanced review of the footage at the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory within the National Police Service Forensics Laboratory, leading to the identification of the students involved in the arson incident.
“After conducting a thorough, detailed forensic analysis of the CCTV footage recovered from the school, coupled with enhanced review at the Forensic Imaging and Acoustic Laboratory at DCI National Police Service Forensics Laboratory, a positive identification of the students who lit the fire has been realised,” the statement said.
The DCI revealed that analysis conducted in collaboration with teachers enabled investigators to confirm the identities of students who participated in the arson before fleeing the scene.
Watch the video below..