Martha Karua forced to flee as chaos erupts over Gatoto Primary School takeover

The planned transfer of Gatoto Community Primary School back to private ownership ended in dramatic scenes on Thursday after a rowdy crowd disrupted the process and chased away officials overseeing the exercise.

Among those forced to leave the school were People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader Martha Karua and Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Charles Kanjama, who had arrived alongside lawyers for the planned handover.

Karua had been at the school for barely two minutes before the situation escalated. Police officers quickly stepped in as the crowd surged towards her, allowing her to leave safely in her vehicle.

“The school belongs to the public, and we have the title deed,” the crowd chanted as they blocked the school’s entrance.

According to former board of management chairperson Felix Mwangani, those involved in the handover had arrived early hoping to complete the exercise, but tensions on the ground made it impossible.

“We managed to reach the site but we could not do it. The people who are not parents said that they were paid to come and make sure that the takeover is not successful,” Mr Mwangangi said.

The private owners later accused police of failing to take firm action against those disrupting a process they said had been authorised by the High Court.

Despite Thursday’s setback, they insisted they would continue pursuing the transfer of the school’s management, arguing that making it a public institution would negatively affect many learners from the surrounding informal settlements.

Makadara OCPD Judy Nyongesa, however, rejected claims that officers had failed in their duties.

“We have complied because we respect our courts and the directives which the court gave us. The school was commissioned by President William Ruto and it is now a public school under the Ministry of Education. The locals want it to remain a public school,” Ms Nyongesa said.

Police also maintained that the school continued operating normally and that officers wanted to avoid any confrontation that could disrupt learning.

The dispute stems from a High Court ruling delivered on June 25, 2026, which ordered that the school be returned to five individuals who say it operates as a non-profit institution.

In the judgment, Justice Gregory Mutai directed the board to restore ownership and management of the school to the petitioners and instructed education authorities to register Gatoto Community Primary School as a private non-profit APBET institution.

“That the Principal Secretary Department of Basic Education and the County Education Board are hereby directed to register Gatoto Community Primary School as a private Non-Profit Based-APBET Primary School within the meaning of the Basic Education Act under the ownership and management of the First (1st) Petitioner in line with the Certificate of the Registration under registration No. 6/PE/234/2008 within four working days of the date hereof,” Justice Mutai ordered.

The judge also ordered that ownership and management of the school be restored to the petitioners by July 2, 2026.

To facilitate the exercise, the court directed the OCPD Makadara to provide security, with at least three police officers deployed during the handover.

“That the requisite payment for security shall be made by the petitioners to the OCPD Makadara,” Justice Mutai directed.

However, the legal battle is far from over.

A section of parents has already filed a notice of appeal at the Court of Appeal, arguing that returning the school to private management would place education beyond the reach of many families living in Mukuru kwa Reuben.

“Parents of these children from the vast Mukuru kwa Reuben slums cannot afford to pay fees charged by private schools,” reads the certificate of urgency filed under Order 53 of the Court of Appeal Rules.

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