The High Court in Kibera, Nairobi, on Friday deferred the plea of eight students from Utumishi Girls Academy, ordering mental and age assessments before they can be tried for the murder of 16 schoolmates in a 28 May dormitory fire. Kenyan prosecutors approved 16 counts of murder after reviewing forensic evidence, CCTV footage and witness statements that they say link the minors, aged 15 to 18, to the deliberate setting of mattresses ablaze near an exit. The case was moved from Naivasha to Nairobi over concerns for the suspects’ safety and public hostility, and a ninth student was released after investigators found no evidence against her. The court also barred media from the virtual hearing and directed that the accused be held at a juvenile remand home.

The legal proceedings coincide with a sweeping police crackdown on gatherings commemorating the second anniversary of the 2024 Gen Z anti-government protests, during which at least 60 people were killed. According to Kenyan police and court records, more than 350 people were arrested on Thursday, including activist Bob Njagi, who was detained for seven days for forensic examination of his phones on suspicion of incitement. Two women were briefly held in Mwea after a candlelight vigil was dispersed, and over 100 suspects face charges of unlawful assembly. Amnesty International reported that authorities erected roadblocks and barricades in Nairobi and other cities, and used tear gas to break up a memorial gathering in the capital. Protest organisers, cited by local media, say compensation for victims’ families remains largely unpaid and demand accountability for police killings.

In Nigeria, separate incidents have drawn attention to the breakdown of lawful order. In Kaduna State, a mob lynched and burned a woman, Ummulkhair, on 21 June after false rumours accused her of child kidnapping; police later arrested some participants, and Islamic leaders and Amnesty International condemned the killing as a violation of the rule of law. Further south, in Niger State, residents told journalists that bandits burned down a primary school in Dekara despite having collected a 10 million naira protection levy from local communities, forcing residents to flee. The attack, one of many in the region, underscores the persistent inability of security forces to contain armed groups operating from forest reserves, according to community leaders.

The Kenyan students are to be escorted to Mathare Mental Hospital on 29 June for assessment by a child psychiatrist, with a court mention set for 1 July. The protest-related detainees are expected to take plea in various courts. In Nigeria, neither the Niger State government nor the police have issued an official statement on the school arson, while the Kaduna mob killing has prompted calls for a thorough investigation. The parallel developments illustrate the varied pressures on legal and security institutions across the region.