Students at Gatoto school suffer as disputes drags on

Gatoto primary school teachers  narrate how they were attacked at the school at Mukuru kwa Reuben at Ruben police station 1st January 2026. [David Gichuru,Standard]

With less than two days to the resumption of learning, education at Gatoto Community Integrated Education Centre in Nairobi remains a pipe dream.

Uncertainty, fear and disruption continue to hang over the school as a protracted battle over its ownership and management derails learning.

Felistus Agutu said a staff meeting on Friday, held in preparation for reopening, was disrupted by goons who invaded the school.

“We first thought they were joking, but they began pushing teachers from the staffroom. We are scared and want assurance before returning. We do this for our children, but we cannot compromise our security,” she said.

For nearly a year, education at Gatoto has been repeatedly interrupted, leaving parents, teachers and pupils caught in a bitter standoff between the community and the State.

The dispute centres on an attempt by the government to convert the school into a public institution, an action the High Court has since declared illegal, unconstitutional, and in violation of statute law.

“If Gatoto Community Primary could speak, last year would be the darkest chapter in its 31-year history. Parents have been traumatised. It has been a year of agony,” said Gideon Ndambuki, the school manager.

The discord dates back to October 2024, when former board members, allegedly lacking authority, registered Gatoto as a public school, effectively erasing its long-standing status as a non-profit APBET institution.

Court battles ensued, and in June 2025, Justice Bahati Mwamuye ruled Gatoto is not a public school. The ruling quashed the October 2024 registration certificate and ordered the Ministry of Education to re-register it as a private APBET school within 60 days.

Yet turmoil persists. Urbanus Musai, personal assistant to area MP Julius Mawathe, insists the school remains under the Ministry, with the title deed held at the Treasury. “The court ruled, but we appealed. The appeal has been ongoing since August 6, 2025,” he said.

Attempts to enforce court rulings have been met with resistance and intimidation. “Three weeks ago, gates were locked and controlled by people with no affiliation to the school,” Ndambuki said. Parents report politicians and hired youths blocking access, forcing learning to stop.

The latest court ruling, delivered on December 8, 2025, reaffirmed Gatoto’s APBET status, quashed the government takeover, and issued a permanent restraining order against interference by education officials or former board members.

Founded in 1994, Gatoto has educated generations of children from low-income families, providing a lifeline to learners otherwise excluded from formal education.