The
tragedy at Utumishi Girls School has left me deeply shaken. Sixteen young girls
lost their lives in circumstances too painful to comprehend. Some were burnt
beyond recognition. Others suffered severe burns. Behind every one of those
young lives was a family, a dream, a future and a community that loved them.
As
a prosecutor, I am trained to approach cases objectively and through the lens
of the law. But before I am a prosecutor, I am a human being. It is impossible
not to feel profound sorrow and outrage at what these young girls endured in
their final moments.
The thought of children trapped in a fire, terrified,
helpless and ultimately burnt to death is heartbreaking. It is a pain that no
parent, sibling, relative, friend, or community should ever have to bear.
Today, families are mourning daughters who will never
come home. Parents are grappling with a loss that words cannot adequately
describe. Some were denied even the comfort of recognising their children's remains.
The emotional scars
carried by survivors, classmates, teachers, first responders and the wider
community will endure long after the headlines fade.
The
Utumishi tragedy has also brought back painful memories of the Moi Girls School
fire case, one of the saddest cases ever handled by my colleagues. In that
case, the perpetrator, who was a minor, was convicted of manslaughter after
initially being charged with murder.
Whatever the legal outcome, the
consequences of that act were catastrophic. Innocent children lost their lives,
families were devastated and an entire nation mourned.
This
week, our country will once again be called upon to reflect on difficult
questions about justice, accountability and the principle of the best interests
of the child. Those principles are important and must always be protected.
However, we must also be honest enough to ask where the balance lies when a
child commits an act that results in mass loss of life. In our concern for
offenders, we must never lose sight of the victims.
My
heart is with the families of the girls who perished at Utumishi Girls, with
those who survived, and with all who have been affected by this tragedy. What
those young girls went through is almost impossible to fathom.
Their deaths
were not just tragic; they were horrific. Their suffering, and the suffering of
those they have left behind, should never be minimised, forgotten, or excused.
May
the souls of the departed rest in peace, and may their families find strength
in the difficult days ahead. As a nation, we owe it to them to pursue the
truth, demand accountability where it is warranted, and ensure that the memory
of these young girls is honoured with justice.
The writer is the principal prosecution counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
