9 students to be remanded for 21 days over Kenya school fire that killed 16

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NAIVASHA, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan detectives on Wednesday were granted 21 days to hold nine students suspected of planning and executing an arson attack at a girl's boarding school in central Kenya that killed 16 children, in a case that has gripped the East African nation.

A court in the town of Naivasha ruled that the girls will be remanded at a children’s home to allow investigators to complete their inquiries and determine whether to bring charges.

The fire on May 28 ripped through the Utumishi Girls School dormitory that houses 202 students. Investigators said the school matron failed to open an emergency door, forcing all students to scamper through a single doorway.

The accused girls have been in police custody for six days, during which interrogations revealed the fire was started by lighting a mattress at the dormitory’s exit using a matchstick and paraffin. No motive has been revealed so far.

Police arrested nine girls after questioning students and reviewing CCTV footage that investigators say shows some students setting a fire inside the dormitory.

Hezron Mogire, a lawyer representing the nine girls, told the court there were “no compelling reasons” to detain the girls for 30 days, as requested by investigators.

“Nonetheless, the court has taken a different view. We have already briefed our clients, and they are well informed,” he said.

Mbogo Macharia, the lawyer representing the families of the 16 girls who died in the fire, called for a thorough investigation within 21 days.

“During that time, it is expected by the courts, by the nation, and also by us as the victims that the investigations will have concluded, we will have gotten the answers that we very much want to hear, and we will have found a way forward in respect to finding justice for the victims,” he said.

The results of DNA tests to determine the identities of some of the bodies that were charred beyond recognition are expected later Wednesday.

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AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa