Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has issued a warning to individuals involved in land grabbing activities. During the launch of the second phase of the Executive Scholarships and Ward Bursaries disbursement on July 5, 2023, the governor urged those who had unlawfully acquired public land designated for schools to vacate the premises promptly to avoid legal consequences.
Addressing the issue of land encroachment on schools, Sakaja emphasized that there would be no room for negotiation with land grabbers. He specifically mentioned Lavington Primary School in Dagoretti North as one of the affected institutions. The governor stressed the importance of safeguarding school properties for the benefit of future generations, noting that allowing land grabbers to prevail would jeopardize the education of upcoming students.
"Those that have been stealing land meant for schools, I ask you to start packing and move out because we're not going to negotiate. That we can not negotiate," said Sakaja.
Sakaja highlighted the scarcity of green spaces in residential areas and underscored the need to preserve the existing green spaces within schools. As part of his efforts to protect school properties, he recently handed over title deeds to more than thirty schools in Nairobi, ensuring the security of their land.
The governor's scholarship program aims to support approximately 30,000 pupils enrolled in public pre-primary schools across the county. Each student will receive an allocation of Sh3,200 to assist them in their studies. Sakaja emphasized that these funds will play a significant role in raising academic standards and improving the physical facilities of schools, thus creating a conducive learning environment and enhancing access to quality education in public Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centers.
"These funds will, therefore, go a long way in setting the standards and more extensively improving the physical facilities of our schools, ensuring a conducive environment and greater access to quality education in our public ECDE Centres. "
In addition to the scholarship initiative, Sakaja is implementing a school feeding program that involves constructing kitchens in selected primary schools. This program aims to provide meals for 250,000 school-going children in public schools.
