Gov't defies court order on Nairobi's Gatoto Primary School as goons block reopening

A section of residents and school officials from Mukuru kwa Reuben were on Friday blocked from accessing Gatoto Community Primary School, despite a court order that overturned an attempt by the government to register the school under its wings.

Despite the court having declared that the school return to its original status as a non-profit community-based APBET primary school, the school gate remained closed, with rowdy youth outside, stopping the management from accessing the premises.

The High Court declared the earlier attempted takeover by the government illegal and ordered the school be re-registered as a private non-profit based APBET primary school.

The judgment, issued on June 12, 2025, by Justice Bahati Mwamuye, also quashed the certificate of registration issued in October last year and restrained the government from further interfering with the operations of the school.

Residents say the closure has affected learning, with some children now out of school. There are growing concerns that the extended disruption has exposed some youth to drug abuse and idleness, further straining the community.

The school, which has for years depended on donor funding to support vulnerable children, has been unable to operate effectively since the dispute began in January.

The management is calling for urgent enforcement of the court order to allow normal learning to resume and restore stability for the hundreds of learners who depend on the school.

"It's unfortunate to see that even some of the people who have benefited from Gatoto Integrated Development Program (GIDP) being hired to come and frustrate our efforts to come back."

"The court decided on June 12th this year to have the whole management, GIDP board of directors, and the Board of Management under the chairmanship of Felix Mwangangi come in place to continue running the school as per the way it is," said Gideon Ndambuki, the manager of Gatoto Integrated Development Program.