The victims, aged between 15 and 18, died after flames broke out in their dormitory late on May 28, trapping students inside, according to the Red Cross. A total of 132 pupils were injured in the blaze.Nine students from the academy, which primarily serves children of police officers, remain in custody as investigations continue, authorities said.

At a memorial service held at Gilgil Stadium, about 120 kilometers north of Nairobi, religious leaders urged attendees to focus on mourning rather than the wider issues surrounding the unrest.“We have come for prayers, not politics,” a priest said during the ceremony attended by families and community members.

The fire has become part of a wider crisis involving school disturbances across Kenya. The country has recorded 47 school fires this year as pupils protest issues including exam pressure, alleged corruption and conditions in boarding schools, which are widely used in the education system.

Several schools have sent students home following additional fires, with experts pointing to possible copycat incidents and long-running frustrations linked to the pressures faced by students.Police said the bodies of the victims were found on the upper floor of the two-storey dormitory.

A student identified as Rosie, 15, said she woke up to smoke and flames and attempted to escape through a locked door before jumping from the first floor, suffering a leg injury.“I was very scared,” she said, adding that she was thinking about classmates who remained inside as she escaped.

Students and families have raised concerns over dormitory safety, including reports that pupils were locked inside rooms at night despite fire safety requirements.

During the memorial, Rosie spoke of her close friend Abigail, who died in the blaze.“She was a dancer, we would always chat together,” Rosie said, describing the loss as deeply painful.Relatives mourned as the coffins arrived during the service, with several parents collapsing under the weight of the tragedy.

Liz Munyaga, 46, whose 17-year-old niece Gertrude died, said schools should provide protection for children.“A school is supposed to be the safest place for children,” she said.