Janet Mbugua calls for national day of remembrance after Utumishi Girls fire
By William Muthama, May 28, 2026Media personality Janet Mbugua has called for a national public memorial to honour victims of the growing number of tragedies affecting the country.
In an instagram post on Thursday, May 28, 2026, Mbugua said Kenyans have been experiencing repeated waves of distressing events, including cases of missing children, rising incidents of femicide, and recent school tragedies, including the Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire that left several students dead and others injured, leaving families devastated.
She noted that the continuous nature of these incidents has created what she described as “emotional exhaustion,” with many people struggling to process each new development before another tragedy occurs.
“From holding names the headlines forgot. From burying women. From searching for children. From this morning, when girls at Utumishi went to sleep in their dormitory and never woke up. We have been carrying grief and exhaustion for so long,” she said.
According to her, the proposed gathering will take place on Monday, June 1, 2026, from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, at Kenyatta Avenue in Nairobi CBD.
Kenyans are encouraged to wear white and carry candles and handkerchiefs as they take part in a peaceful mass sit-down and memorial event.
“Monday, we hold space, together. A mass sit-down, a public memorial for the women who never came home, the children still missing, every life treated like it didn’t matter,” she added.
Mbugua explained that the gathering is intended to offer Kenyans a moment to come together, mourn, and reflect on the lives lost.
The media personality said the event will provide space for collective healing and remembrance, while also acknowledging the pain experienced by affected families across the country.
She said the memorial will also serve as a moment of solidarity, where Kenyans can express grief collectively and support one another in the face of ongoing national challenges.
Mbugua called on the public to participate in the planned event, emphasising unity and compassion during a difficult period marked by repeated national losses.