Utumishi Dorm Fire: Tears flow as Form 3 student killed in tragedy is laid to rest in Kwale

• Zuhura Rama, one of the 16 learners who died in the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire, was laid to rest in Ukunda, Kwale County
• Family, friends and community members gathered at her village for an emotional funeral ceremony to bid farewell to the 16-year-old
• Hamadi Mwapishi, the family spokesperson, revealed that Zuhura did not die from burns and explained what exactly caused her death

Families of the 16 students who perished on May 28 following the dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy are still grappling with the tragic loss of their daughters.

One of the girls who lost her life, Zuhura Rama, was finally laid to rest in accordance with Islamic traditions despite unavoidable delays.

The 16-year-old girl’s body was interred in Mkakwani village, Kwale County, during an emotional funeral ceremony attended by family members, friends and members of the local community.

They gathered for communal prayers to bid a final farewell to a young life cut tragically short.

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Many described Zuhura as a dedicated student who loved and cherished those around her.

She reportedly dreamed of becoming a doctor so she could serve her community and make a difference in people’s lives.

Emotional scene as Utumishi Academy student is buried in Kwale

Mourners sat quietly in tents during the funeral, lost in thought and visibly saddened by the teenager’s death.

Her coffin, draped in colourful lesos, was carried to the gravesite where she was laid to her final rest.

After her body was lowered into the grave in keeping with Islamic practices, men held lesos above the open grave and gently waved them as a final rite.

Family spokesperson Hamadi Mwapishi said Zuhura did not die from burns but from asphyxiation.

“We went there and found our daughter. She had suffocated and only had burns on her leg. Several authorities surround the school, and we wonder how they could not prevent such a tragedy,” said Mwapishi.

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He further explained that the family was forced to wait for the DNA identification process to be completed, contrary to the Islamic practice of burying the deceased within hours of death.

Moreover, Zuhura’s family revealed that they are yet to receive the financial support promised by the government to facilitate the burial of the young girls who died in the fire.

“We live in a country where it feels like we have no leadership. Our prayer is that the government takes responsibility for its work and protects its citizens,” said a family member.

Mwapishi noted that the tragedy had left many parents fearful of taking their children to boarding schools, saying it now felt safer to enrol students in day schools to avoid such devastating losses.

Source: NGBREAKINGNEWS