Shame of city constituency with just two public schools

In the sprawling slums of Embakasi, it’s about survival of the fittest.

Here, it’s rough and tough: Deprivation, hardship, non-existent social amenities and the pungent smell of squalor define a typical day.

Like the Pandora’s box, each day comes with its adversities. It’s a dog’s life.

Education is the key to success, goes the adage. But for many residents of Embakasi South constituency, access to education is a privilege.

Despite the national government rolling out free primary education in 2003, for learners in the constituency, the programme has proven to be a luxury.

Getting a chance in a public school is a struggle.

Those who can afford something beyond their daily sustenance have to make do with makeshift iron-sheet structures in the name of private schools.

With a population of more than 170,000, the constituency has only two public schools – Kwa Njenga Primary and Embakasi Girls Secondary School.

Mukuru Community Centre was reclaimed from a private developer last year, 13 years after it was grabbed and renamed to Goodrich Community School.

Nairobi Regional Director, Jared Obiero, admits the constituency has few public schools against 263 primary and 68 secondary private institutions.

“It is true. Embakasi South constituency has few public schools,” he says.

Nairobi County has more than 280 public primary schools spread across the 17 constituencies with close to 100 public secondary institutions.

Kwa Njenga Primary School, serving four informal settlements of Sinai, Kwa Reuben, Tassia and Quarry, has close to 4,000 pupils.

Exploitation

Mukuru Community Centre, despite only opening its doors last year, already has close to 3,000 pupils. Most of the public land that should have been used to put up schools has been grabbed.

The constituency is made up of Pipeline, Kware, Kwa Njenga, Kwa Reuben and Imara Daima wards.

The dire state of affairs has forced hard-pressed parents to dig deeper into their pockets to send their children to private schools, which have proliferated in the area.

Roselyne Asena, a parent, says they are forced send their children to these facilities, also known as supplementary schools. Most of them are makeshift structures consisting of five rooms that get full within two months of opening.

Worryingly, they are also sub-standard and usually hire unqualified teachers with most of their operations not conforming to the Ministry of Education guidelines.

“It’s exploitation here. Most of the public utility areas have been grabbed by private developers. We are forced to make do with the supplementary schools,” she avers.

Area MP Julius Mawathe has begun the process of reclaiming parcels of public land from private developers. In the meantime, Kwa Njenga Primary has been expanded by building 12 more classes.

Through funds from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), they will also construct another facility, to be known as Njenga Kariuki Secondary School, in honour of the late ‘founder’ of the slum. There are also plans for Imara Daima Secondary, Reuben High and Kware Secondary schools.

“We are only waiting for disbursement of funds from the national government CDF kitty. Hopefully, we should have the schools up and running by April next year and have admissions at the beginning of 2022,” says Mr Mawathe.

Pipeline Ward MCA Stephen Gikonyo also admits that land grabbing is rife in his ward and is calling on the national government and the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) to reclaim it from private developers.

Mr Gikonyo disclosed that a search he conducted at the Survey of Kenya revealed that two public utility plots where public secondary and primary schools were to be built had allegedly been grabbed by a prominent family and other private developers.

“I urge the private developers to surrender the plots to the county so that we develop public amenities like schools, hospitals and social halls or give us money so that we buy plots elsewhere and build public utilities,” says Mr Gikonyo.

Land grabbing

Nairobi Deputy Governor Anne Kananu fired a warning shot to land grabbers, saying their days were numbered.

Last week, Nairobi Education CEC Janet Ouko raised concerns over land grabbing in the city, pointing an accusing finger at the church.

She says the level of impunity displayed by the private developers is “on another level” and any attempts to intervene is usually met with threats.

“Most of the issues with land in Nairobi comes from churches. Protect our schools, social halls and stop erecting tents in schools. If you try to intervene, they tell you to go slow if you value your life,” she says.