Land Cartels plotting to steal Maina Wanjigi Secondary School’s land

A public high school in Kamkunji, Nairobi, is at risk of losing part of its land, which is being claimed by two different groups, including a women’s dance troupe.

The Galole Women Dancers Group asserts that it holds a valid title deed for a piece of land located within the seven acres occupied by Maina Wanjigi Girls Secondary School.

They claim ownership of land designated as LR No. Nairobi Block 49/977, which spans 0.3302 hectares (approximately three-quarters of an acre) and is valued at around Sh210 million.

Kamukunji Deputy County Commissioner Fredrick Martin Muli communicated their claim to the Ministry of Lands.

In a letter dated March 13, Muli requested that the director of survey send a surveyor to determine the boundary between the school’s untitled land and the land claimed by the dancers.

“I visited the site personally but could not ascertain whether the disputed land is separate from or part of the school property,” Muli stated.

“Given this situation, I am asking your office to send a government surveyor to clarify the facts so that we can resolve the dispute between the two parties.”

Yesterday, area MP Yusuf Hassan and Sub-County Director of Education Luley Abdullahi Yahya maintained that the land rightfully belongs to the school.

Hassan noted that there have been multiple attempts by developers to seize the land using various groups.

“We support Maina Wanjigi Secondary School against land cartels and individuals trying to take public land. That has always been my position,” he stated.

Yahya mentioned that the dispute has been escalated to Jogoo House and is currently being addressed by the legal office of the Ministry of Education.

She confirmed that the land claimed by the dance group is within the school grounds, which were fenced by the ministry in 2018 to protect it from previous encroachments.

“When these individuals claimed the land, we contacted the ministry for clarification, and the legal department is managing the situation. The perimeter wall was constructed by the Ministry of Education in 2018,” she said.

Muli indicated yesterday that he had paused his request for a survey after a third party, identified as Mr. Kariuki, also claimed ownership of the same parcel of land.

“The situation is becoming unclear and complicated, so we had to halt the survey due to this new claim,” he said.

He added that the school land does not possess a title deed.