CS Ogamba Issues Directive on School Title Deeds
Today, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba told all Regional, County, and Sub-County Education Officers to make sure that schools in their areas get title deeds within a year.
He explained that many schools lack title deeds, which makes it hard for them to develop and provide a good learning environment for students. He mentioned that land that was taken away has been returned to the schools.
“We asked our directors to check all schools and find out which ones don’t have title deeds so we can help them get the necessary documents with the help of the Ministry of Lands,” he said.
Ogamba’s View on Land Grabbing in Schools
Many public schools are at risk because they don’t have legal proof of ownership, making them vulnerable to land grabbers.
A 2023 study by the Shule Yangu campaign found that only 11,974 out of 32,643 public schools—about 37 percent—have title deeds. This means over 20,000 schools are at risk of land fraud and other illegal activities.
CS Alice Wahome Warns Against Land Grabbing
Lands CS Alice Wahome has also set up regional teams to tackle land grabbing and urged school leaders to quickly submit property records.
“We are not just protecting land; we are protecting education,” she said.
A senior member of the National Lands Commission pointed out that religious organizations that hold original titles face delays and issues with coordination between the Ministry of Land, the National Land Commission, and the Survey of Kenya, which slow down the process.
“Land grabbing continues because of gaps in the system. We need a unified land policy and database,” he said.
As of 2019, only 30 percent of 32,354 public schools had title deeds, leaving over 22,648 schools at risk. About 4,100 schools have reported being in danger.
This news comes after reports that eight acres of land belonging to Mathari Teaching and Referral Hospital have been taken over by an unknown private developer, who has put up a temporary fence around the unprotected area.
