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Thursday, 2 July 2026
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Thursday, 2 July 2026
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Kenyan press · Person

Justice Diana Kavedza

Justice presiding over Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire murder trial and related high-profile cases in Kenya.

2026-05-132026-07-02

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. May 2026
  2. The Standard

    Justice Diana Kavedza set aside an order by a lower court that had allowed police to detain Wangari for 10 days pending investigations.

    Court releases on bond woman at centre of Obwaka death probe
Society

Court defers bail ruling for eight minors in Utumishi Girls fire

The News

The High Court has postponed a decision on releasing eight minors accused of murder in connection with a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy that killed 16 students, pending a comprehensive pre-bail report due by September 22. Justice Diana Kavedza ordered probation officers to gather views from victims' families, school administration, investigators, and the accused minors before the court rules on bail.

Why it matters

Court's deferral of bail for minors in Utumishi Girls fire case, pending victim and family input, reflects careful judicial consideration of a tragedy affecting many Kenyans.

22 hours ago · Capital News

Yesterday

  1. Court defers bail ruling for eight minors in Utumishi Girls fire

    The High Court has postponed a decision on releasing eight minors accused of murder in connection with a dormitory fire at Utumishi Girls Academy that killed 16 students, pending a comprehensive pre-bail report due by September 22. Justice Diana Kavedza ordered probation officers to gather views from victims' families, school administration, investigators, and the accused minors before the court rules on bail.

    22 hours ago · Capital News

  2. Eight minors charged with murder in Utumishi school fire case

    Eight minors from Utumishi Girls Academy have been charged with murder over the death of a fellow student linked to a school fire that killed 16. The minors pleaded not guilty before Justice Diana Kavedza, who ordered their identities be protected and that they be referred to as "subject minors" throughout the trial.

    1 July 2026 · Capital News

  3. Court orders Utumishi students referred to as subject minors

    A court has directed that eight students from Utumishi Girls Academy facing charges linked to a deadly school fire be referred to as "subject minors" instead of suspects during legal proceedings, with Justice Diana Kavedza emphasizing the protection of children's rights and identities in criminal proceedings.

    1 July 2026 · Capital News

  4. Eight minors charged in Utumishi Girls Academy student death

    Eight minors from Utumishi Girls Academy have been formally charged with murder over the death of a fellow student and have pleaded not guilty. The High Court directed that their identities remain protected throughout the proceedings, and the court issued strict guidelines barring any publication that could reveal the minors' identities.

    1 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

  5. Eight Utumishi students to face court on murder charges

    Eight students from Utumishi Girls High School are expected to appear before the High Court for a mention hearing on murder charges related to the deaths of 16 fellow students. The court will receive a psychiatric assessment report to determine whether the eight girls are mentally fit to stand trial.

    1 July 2026 · Citizen Digital

  6. High Court restricts media reporting on Utumishi dormitory fire trial

    The High Court has imposed strict reporting restrictions on the trial of eight Utumishi Girls Academy students accused in a dormitory fire that killed 16 fellow students, barring publication of information that could identify the child suspects, their parents, guardians, siblings and immediate family members.

    1 July 2026 · The Standard

  7. Kibera High Court defers bail decision for Utumishi students

    The Kibera High Court has declined to immediately release eight Utumishi Girls Academy students charged with murder in connection with a school dormitory fire that killed 16 fellow students, with the judge ordering a comprehensive social inquiry report before ruling on bail.

    1 July 2026 · The Standard

Friday 26 June

  1. Court orders mental assessment for eight Utumishi fire suspects

    A Nairobi court has directed that eight minors charged in connection with the deadly fire at Utumishi Girls Academy undergo mental assessment before a child psychiatrist at Mathare Mental Hospital ahead of the murder case hearing. The court also appointed pro bono advocates for the minors and ordered their continued remand at Kabete Children's Home pending further directions.

    26 June 2026 · Citizen Digital

  2. High Court orders mental assessments for eight Utumishi murder suspects

    The Kibera High Court has ordered eight students accused of murdering 16 fellow learners in the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire to undergo mental health assessments to determine if they are fit to stand trial. The minors were remanded at the Nairobi Children's Remand Home pending a court mention on July 1.

    26 June 2026 · The Standard

Tuesday 23 June

  1. High Court grants Sarah Wairimu supervised visit to Kitisiru home

    Justice Diana Kavedza has allowed Sarah Wairimu, wife of slain businessman Tom Cohen, a police-supervised visit to their Kitisiru home where her husband's body was discovered in a septic tank. The court also granted her access to banking services to manage her financial affairs as the trial proceeds.

    23 June 2026 · The Standard

Wednesday 13 May

  1. Court releases Obwaka death probe woman on Sh100,000 bond

    Beatrice Wangari, at the centre of investigations into Dr Job Obwaka's death, has been freed on a Sh100,000 personal bond after the High Court found her continued detention unjustified. The postmortem found Obwaka died of cardiac arrest from pre-existing cardiac conditions, and Wangari must report daily to the investigating officer until the probe concludes.

    13 May 2026 · The Standard

Justice Diana Kavedza — Kenyan press coverage · Kenya Minute