A Nairobi court directed that eight minors charged in connection with the deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Academy undergo a mental assessment by a child psychiatrist ahead of the hearing of the murder case.
The eight suspects appeared virtually before Deputy Registrar Barbara Akinyi at the Kibera High Court for their first mention.
The prosecution team, led by Senior Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Vincent Monda, made several applications to facilitate the hearing of the case within the timelines set out in the Children’s Act.
Among the orders sought were the appointment of pro bono advocates for all the minors, mental assessment at Mathare Mental Hospital, assessment by a Children’s Officer, the opening of protection and care files, and continued remand of the suspects at Kabete Children’s Home pending further directions from the court.
According to the ODPP, the court directed that the minors be escorted to Mathare Mental Hospital on Monday, June 29, 2026, for mental assessment by a child psychiatrist, with the reports to be filed before the next court appearance.
Deputy Registrar Akinyi also ordered that protection and care files be opened for each of the minors, with the relevant reports to be filed within 30 days.
In addition, the court directed that Children’s Officers at Kabete Children’s Home conduct assessments of all the suspects immediately, or complete the exercise over the weekend if necessary, and submit the reports before the next mention.
The eight minors will remain in custody at Kabete Children’s Home.
The court further ordered the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to supply all prosecution documents to the defence ahead of the next mention. It also directed that children’s officers, guardians and parents be present during the next court appearance, and that each of the minors be represented by legal counsel and produced physically in court.
The matter will be mentioned on July 1, 2026, before Justice Diana Kavedza.
The media was locked out of the proceedings.
Meanwhile, more than 200 suspects arrested during the June 25 demonstrations in Nairobi were arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts and charged with obstructing motor vehicles and disrupting traffic flow on major roads in Nairobi.
According to the charge sheets presented before the court, the accused persons are alleged to have, on June 25, 2026, at around 9:30 a.m. along Landhies Road, unlawfully assembled on a section of the road and obstructed the operations of motor vehicles.
The prosecution further alleges that the suspects blocked the road by heaping stones and burning tyres, thereby causing obstruction and inconvenience to other road users, contrary to the law.
Those arraigned include 12 suspects from Kamukunji Police Station, 58 from Shauri Moyo Police Station, 46 from Industrial Area Police Station, and 87 from Central Police Station.
The accused denied the charges and were released on a cash bail of Sh1,000 each. The case will be mentioned on July 2, 2026.
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