Parents of PCEA Kamandura primary school in Limuru sub county in Kiambu county were joined by members of the public to reject a sub division of the school field to be built hostels of a State college.
They blocked the Nairobi Nakuru highway at Kamandura area with huge stones and logs as they staged a protest and later entered into the school demanding for answer’s.
Traffic jam resulted as motorists couldn’t pass, with some looking for escape routes in the villages.
A drama ensued when anti riot police arrived, but they couldn’t lob teargas because learning was taking place.
They claimed that when the Limuru vocational training college was started, it did not have a land and the school was approached to hieve a land for the institution.
It is among the institutions that were built in each and every constituency by the former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government.
A parent John Kamau said the institution had been allocated a piece of a 5 acres by the school and now needed another more so that it can build hostels.
“This time round, we were not involved in any public participation. We learnt that last week, goal posts of our pupils play field had been removed, and some beckons had been planted, indicating that the whole field had been taken away” Kamau said.
“We have decided not to keep quiet until the government looks for another land to build the hostels for the students, since they will leave our pupils without somewhere to play” he added.
Kamau revealed that a PCEA Reverend Joshua Matenjwa donated that land to be built a school in 1960’s. He said that Rev Matenjwa had donated a land next to the school where the PCEA Rev Joshua Matenjwa is built.
“Those sub dividing this land should know that at first the state did not have a land. Even if it was donated to the public by a resident, we should respect the interest which was there” Kamau said.
Another resident Jane Wambui asked the government to dissolve the schools Board of Management, alleging that it had failed to inform the parents about the move.
However, the situation was controlled by Limuru deputy county commissioner Harrison Matevwa, who engaged the parents in a dialogue until they dispersed.
After listening to the parents, he urged the BOMs for the primary school and that of the College to call a parents meeting and have a way forward.
Matevwa noted that there was incitement since of those who participated in the protests were not parents of the school.
“We cannot solve issues on the roadside. Can we have an orderly meeting where we shall be told step by step what had happened. Both BOMs will call a meeting and discuss the issue at hand. We shall get the direction since the both schools are meant to benefit our children. We need both of them” Matevwa said.
The DCC was accompanied by area sub county police commander Mary Njoki, Limuru chief John Ngugi, Kamandura head teacher David Kamau, Limuru town OCS among other leaders.
Efforts to get a comment from area MP John Kiragu failed as he did not pick our calls.
