NAIROBI, JANUARY 20, 2015(CISA) – President Uhuru Kenyatta today faulted the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission for failing to resolve the Lang’ata Road Primary School land dispute.
“We will begin to take action against Government officials who fail in their mandates,” said President Kenyatta following the tear-gassing of pupils protesting the grabbing of their school playground on Monday January 19.
He said the act was unacceptable and that police should not have been involved in the first place. The President also questioned the role of the head teacher, saying that school children should not have been allowed to participate in the protests.
Five children and a police officer were injured during demonstrations to save the school’s playground from an alleged land grabber.
The pupils, aged between three and 14, had returned to school after a two-week teachers strike to find the playground fenced off.
Many of the pupils joined teachers and activists in trying to push down the barriers that had been erected, before police arrived to confront them.
Lang’ata OCPD Elijah Mwangi, who was in charge of the operation, was suspended following the incident.
Following the happening, Internal Security Minister Joseph Nkaissery met pupils to apologise and console the pupils.
Nkaissery also ordered the developer of the disputed plot to remove the remaining part of the perimeter wall and clear the building materials within 24 hours.
