Ogamba issues a one-year directive on school title deeds

Education CS Julius Ogamba during the National Drama and Film Festival Gala at Melvin Jones Academy in Nakuru on April 15,2025. [Kipsang Joseph, Standard] Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has issued a directive to all Regional, County, and Sub-County Education Officers within one year to ensure schools in their jurisdictions acquire title deeds. The CS said lack of title deeds has hindered development in most institutions denying proper environment for learning and teaching to take place. Ogamba further noted that the security of learners is compromised when schools don't have the crucial documents, exposing students to drug and sex pests. "I warn those encroaching on school land-they are on notice. We will use every arm of government to reclaim and protect public land," said Ogamba. He said the government will ensure that all land grabbed has been returned to the respective schools. "We asked our directors in the ministry to audit all schools to map those without title deeds so that we can facilitate the document for them in collaboration with the Ministry of Lands," he stated. "This is not just a land matter; it's about the future of our children. If we allow this land grabbing to continue, where will our children go?" Ogamba's directive is reinforced by the Ministry of Education Director General Dr Elyas Abdi, who, during a national education forum in Naivasha, said lack of documentation hinders school growth and learning. "All public properties must be protected from land grabbing. Without title deeds, schools cannot develop or ensure the safety of learners," said Dr Abdi. Thousands of public schools stand on shaky ground-literally with no legal documents to prove ownership, hence are caught in a relentless fight against land grabbers. A 2023 report by the Shule Yangu Campaign Alliance painted a grim picture: only 11,974 of the country's 32,643 public schools, just 37 per cent, have title deeds. This means over 20,000 schools remain vulnerable to land fraud, encroachment, and criminal activity. In Nairobi, Garden Estate Secondary School is one of 26 institutions grappling with land disputes. Built in 2014 with Sh70 million from the Constituency Development Fund, the school is fighting to retain land it legally occupies alongside Garden Estate Primary School. Despite winning a court case in 2017, threats persist. In Nairobi, Highway Secondary and Buruburu Girls' Schools in Makadara, Lavington Girls Secondary School in Dagoretti North, also face encroachment from private developers who've erected residential houses inside school grounds. "We had intruders claim our staff quarters. No documents, no rights, just force," said Irungu Nduati, Principal of Highway Secondary. In Kwale County, illegal excavation on part of Mwamdudu Primary School's land left several pupils with broken limbs. "This trauma is heartbreaking. Children should worry about homework, not if they'll have school tomorrow," said a teacher. "Around us, boundaries are permanent. Ours? Temporary. Someone is waiting to strike," said a teacher at the school. Even more alarming is the impact on safety and student welfare. Without fences-impossible to erect on untitled land-many schools have become open conduits for drug dealers and sex predators. "We cannot fence the school. A public road cuts right through our compound. The risk to our children is real," said a Nairobi head teacher, who requested anonymity. Willie Kuria, chair of the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association, said without titles, schools can't expand, build new infrastructure, or secure learning environments. "Most institutions are at the mercy of cartels who forge documents and forcefully claim land," he said. Makadara MP George Aladwa expressed her frustration, noting that this has tied schools' administrators' hands. "This is leaving students exposed to danger, development plans stalled, and teachers under siege. Until every public school has its title deed, the fight is far from over," he said, a sentiment echoed by Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi. "It's inconceivable that someone can walk into a school and build illegally. The government must act now," she said. Ten years since former President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the issuance of school titles, progress remains painfully slow. Mandera County leads in compliance, with 321 of its 334 schools titled. But elsewhere, the situation is dire. Garissa (256), Wajir (311), Marsabit (231), Turkana (473), Samburu (215), and Tana River (300) have no school titles at all. Lands CS Alice Wahome has also announced the formation of regional teams to combat land grabbing, calling on school heads to submit property records urgently. "We are not just protecting land. We're protecting learning," she said. A senior official with the National Lands Commission said religious sponsors holding original titles, bureaucratic delays, and lack of coordination between the Ministry of Lands, National Land Commission, and Survey of Kenya remain major obstacles, slowing the process. "Land grabbing continues because of systemic loopholes. We need a unified land policy and database," he said.

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