On Friday, a section of residents and school officials from Mukuru kwa Reuben were denied access to Gatoto Community Primary School, despite a High Court order that had restored the school’s original status.
This came after a long battle between the community and the government, which had tried to register the school under its control. The court ruling clearly directed that the school should go back to being a non-profit community-based APBET primary school. However, the school gate remained shut, with youth stationed outside, blocking the management from entering and resuming their duties.
The decision by the High Court, delivered on June 12, 2025, by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, declared the government’s earlier takeover of the school illegal.
The judge also ordered the cancellation of a registration certificate issued in October last year and stopped any further interference by the state.
The community had hoped that this ruling would bring an end to months of confusion, but that has not happened. Learning has not resumed, and the school’s management says the continued closure is harming the children and the community at large.
Several residents say the disruption has left many children idle and out of school, with some being drawn into risky behaviours such as drug abuse.
The longer the issue drags on, the worse it gets for families that rely on the school to provide education and safety for their children. Gatoto Community Primary School has for many years supported vulnerable learners through donor funding.
The school also runs under the Gatoto Integrated Development Program (GIDP), which helps provide additional support beyond academics.
The school’s manager, Gideon Ndambuki, expressed deep frustration with the current situation. He pointed out that some of the very people who once benefited from the school’s programs are now being used to block its management from returning.
He said this only adds more pain to a community that has tried hard to build something meaningful for its children.
Ndambuki emphasized that the court had recognized the full leadership of the school, including the GIDP board of directors and the Board of Management chaired by Felix Mwangangi. He urged authorities to act quickly to enforce the court ruling and allow the school to reopen.
The management believes that only by doing this can they bring back stability and continue serving the hundreds of learners who depend on the school for their education and future.
