Ownership dispute leaves operations at Gatoto Community School paralysed

Operations at Gatoto Community Primary School in Mukuru kwa Reuben were on Monday Paralysed following an ownership rift between the school’s management and government.

Learners in neatly pressed uniforms had reported back from the December holiday only to find doors locked.

The school owned and managed by a board of directors headed by Gideon Mutuku has long been at the heart of the community.

Mr Mutuku told reporters that he took over the management of the school 14 years ago when its founder Betty Nyagoha passed on.

The director said unfortunately, the school has been intruded by the area chief and local leaders, with a team of new headteachers, a deputy and new teachers whom they claimed are from the Teacher Service Commission-TSC.

Mr Mutuku said it was strange that the government through TSC would make such a decision without communication to the existing management.

“Previously we’ve heard rumours that the government wants to take over the school but we’ve not had any formal communication from the same government,” said Mr Mutuku.

He said the school is currently privately owned and supported by an NGO and donors.

But parents who are supporting the government said the school will reap benefits that come with government schools including CDF, food program and construction of Grade 9 classrooms.

The parents told reporters that since 2008, the school with about 1,000 students has been owned by the community.

The furious parents evicted a group of activists including Boniface Mwangi who had come to protest against the takeover of the school.

“The owner of this school should give us a certificate indicating that he is the owner, otherwise this is a community school for the people of Reuben”, the parent said.

Area MP Julius Mawathe said the move to have the government take over the management of the school is in line with the recovery of grabbed public schools.

Mawathe said the school was in October last year recovered by the government and a new headteacher and deputy were placed in November.

According to the legislator, the land in which the school sits in was grabbed 14 years ago.