Baraka Primary School facing Takeover & Land Grab by JCC Church

Why is Buru's Baraka Primary Land under threat?

The once famous suburban estate, with its ailing history and current decadence of public and social wellbeing is now watching silently as a familiar wave of graft in local leadership seeks to help the greedy and corrupt "...bend the law rather than break the law". 

These were the words of the DCC (inset) after residents and stakeholders met on Tuesday at Baraka Primary School looking to find answers & iron out concerns on illegal construction of a perimeter wall for the school. 

Baraka Primary School is a public primary school sitting on 7.5acres, which was the last public primary school to be developed within the estate. The school was to cater for immediate families within the estate and having have studied there in the 90s, nothing would have prepared me for the realization and observation of the schools current state & administration.

From the multiple abandoned iron sheet 'mabati' constructions within the school compound, to the odious smell of the small bathrooms (same ones constructed in the late 80s) and the massive hall that was constructed by JCC Church smack in the middle of the school. The issue that blew the lid open was the poor construction ethics and expertise (the type that works without necessary approvals/permits) that led to interference with existing drainage and sewer system. Quite a number of residents were exposed to stagnant sewage water with the school children exposed to the same plus the danger of falling into the excavation pits.

Blocked storm drainage 

Vipindire + Talking Cross-Purpose

When we first arrived, we were met with a board recently erected displaying that the school perimeter wall was a NG-CDF funded project.

Upon inquiry, it was confirmed by the MCA Harambee ward, Anthony Kimemia, that there was no existing project or approval of a project within the CDF office. Not the CDF Chairman or the CDF Account Manager knew about the project. The contractor on the ground claimed he had the necessary approvals/permits and that the project was in fact a NG-CDF funded project.

When the same question was posed to the headmaster of the school, he claimed that it was not a CDF funded project as he was not involved in the Project Management Committee which he should be party and privy to project costs, timelines etc. It was at this point that the members of the CDF committee also arrived, claiming that they are not aware of the project and even wanted to deface the misleading board.

Sub County Director of Education

About this time, the meeting had formality as stakeholders heard from the representatives from Survey of Kenya & Surveyor, Nairobi Water and the Sub County Director of Education who reiterated the headmasters position that the school (and by extension the Ministry of Education) is not aware that the school perimeter wall being a CDF project. He also mentioned that the Ministry of Education was not aware that there was a church operating inside the school premises. 

It is at this point that residents realized there was a local arrangement the school had with the church that allowed them to pay rent ( $1,200 p.m.) to the school. The SCDE and the headmaster said there was no lease or contractual agreement to prove any engagement with the church. Upon further questioning the headmaster refused to provide any further information on the matter beyond insisting that the school is highly dependent on the church to even pay its teachers. 

It gets interesting. The headteacher claims that the school has 8 BOM employed teachers and 4 others who receive an appropriation of $100 every month which come from the proceeds or donations from the church. Having travelled to hundreds of primary schools across 41 counties implementing the Digital Literacy Programme, I had not seen any other public primary school engaged in such business and administration. School Boards generally employ teachers to aid where TSC teachers are stretched. For such a school to have 8 teachers employed by the BOM (and JCC Church) allows for dependence to the church...notwithstanding to note that parents of the school pay additional fees to pay the BOM teachers - yet the Ministry of Education claims to pay BOM teachers in institutions under it. 

JCC Church hall constructed on Baraka Primary school grounds

The residents also realized there was a Telco mast inside the school grounds that meant the public primary school is earning rent as A.I.A (in excess of $1500 p.m.) that the Ministry of Education seems to be unaware of & allowing under-table business ventures in schools. I will be keen to send such pertinent question to P.S. Julius Jwan in writing.

The icing on the cake came when the DCC arrived late to the meeting and having heard the concerns raised by residents was quick to mention that as per his purview, the school perimeter wall project was funded by the NG-CDF...a puzzled response from the residents and stakeholders were almost coerced into taking his word for it and ignoring the information from the MCA and lady Julia, an advocate of the High Court of Kenya, that they visited the CDF offices and were told no such project exists funded by the NG-CDF. Hio ndio inaitwa kufunikia. It was weird seeing the DCC advocate for the church to remain in the school as long as the school was benefitting through what can only be described as bribes for 'bending the rule of law'.

Someone is in breach of trust.

There was consensus however, on ensuring the way-leaves and drainage system are restored to function and the beacons used to survey the boundary for construction of the unapproved perimeter wall construction harmonized with existing beacons & boundaries. There was also consensus that all church activity ongoing in the school grounds (Why is a church operating inside a public primary school?) should be done at acceptable noise levels?!

History will remind us...

They will call this rubble rousing, yet if you are a resident of Buru, then you'd remember this is the same way Buruburu Boys was grabbed and later taken over by CITAM, who were squatters, renters and now administrators of the once public school grounds. Recently, Martin Luther Primary also fell victim to the same scavenging from Education and County officials who 'allowed' the public primary school grounds to be grabbed, by bending the law, and having the land registered under dubious titles. What about Tom Mboya Social Hall?

The residents can tell when they see vultures circling above; we know that it was the uselessly infamous Aladwa who brought JCC church into Baraka Primary school grounds and we know the type of development ongoing in the public primary school grounds. The school is virtually being run down, something similar to what they did to the aforementioned 2 public schools within the estate.

Opinion & Verdict

Residents of Buruburu should stop being too pre-occupied with their labour and set some time aside to be involved in matters that touch on the wellbeing of our communities and society at large.

Some of the dilapidated classrooms being constructed around the church to hide presence of JCC church.

I've witnessed Thomas Burke and Happyland, both private schools within the estate, grow to unmatched standards hardly comparable to Baraka Primary. You cannot measure it up to its neighboring public primary schools like Bidii and Harambee Primary. What is this that is ailing our public schools? Can the residents of Buruburu participate in these school BOMs to ensure that there is proper oversight, consideration and management of the school and its resources? Can the school grounds be used for sports training to the residents over weekends? Because it was clear to me that if the residents don't get involved in such matters, we'll be shocked when their machinations come to pass - and we're left seething at the mediocrity and dilapidation of our public primary schools, while paying through our teeth for private school fees. 

Did I mention that JCC have a model for their new sanctuary which will sit on 6 acres of land? Their Administrator & Pastor failed to mention where it will be situate, but we can only trust their word on the matter. He mentioned how the church hall wasn't even their hall as the school also makes use of the hall. 

The next meeting will be on Thursday the 23rd of June 2022 at the school grounds at 10AM.

All residents, parents and other stakeholders are invited to attend.

Julie, an advocate representing the residents gives account of her findings from NG-CDF

Pupils having tea break dangerously close to excavation site