Ministry of Education gives schools six months to acquire title deeds

Junior Secondary School (JSS) intern teachers take to the streets of Naivasha calling on the government to employ them permanently as their strike entered the third week. [Photo/Antony Gitonga]

The Ministry of Education has issued a six-month notice to all public schools to acquire title deeds for the parcels of land they occupy.

The directive comes in the wake of increased cases of land grabbing targeting public institutions.

The Ministry has directed County Directors to work with the school principals and board of management to acquire the ownership documents from the Ministry of Land.

A report by Shule Yangu Campaign Alliance, two years ago indicated that a partial 37 percent of public schools had title deeds.

According to the Director General Dr Elyas Abdi, many schools in the country did not have ownership documents paving the way for unscrupulous traders to grab part of their land.

Speaking during the Inaugural Ministry of Education Conference in Naivasha, Abdi promised schools of the government support in getting the ownership documents.

"We have issued a six month directive to all public schools to get their title deeds and County Directors for education should support this exercise," he said.

He further put on notice Principals who were using school buses past the designated time despite the laid down regulations.

Abdi said that it was common to see school buses driving late in the night adding that the ministry would not tolerate this.

"We have seen cases where students and even members of the public are ferried at night which is against the law and we shall take action," he said.

On indiscipline in schools, the Director termed the second term as the worst with cases of arson being reported across the country.

Abdi added that data from the ministry indicated that the majority of fire incidents were reported in the second term leading to losses running into millions of shillings.

"Education officers and heads of schools should work closely with the security agencies so that we can stem this arson crisis mainly in the second term," he said.

Speaking earlier, Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Julius Ogambo called on Heads of Education in counties to address the perennial students' unrest that rose in the second term.

"We have seen a trend where cases of student unrest rise in the second term and are calling on heads of education and principals to address this menace," he said.

He also warned school heads against imposing illegal levies due to the funding delays, stating that those found responsible would face disciplinary action.

"We are aware that some Principals are collecting illegal levies from unsuspecting parents and this should come to an end," he said.