A land dispute in Kamukunji has reignited tensions in Nairobi, placing an elderly women’s cultural group against a public secondary school over ownership of a valuable parcel.
The Galole Women Dancers, whose heritage links back to the famous Nyakinyua dancers, claim the land as theirs, insisting it was officially granted to them decades ago.
The contested plot sits within the grounds of Maina Wanjigi Girls Secondary School, which has occupied the area since 1982.
The women’s case rests on an allotment letter, a title deed, and a green card issued after government surveys, which they say prove their rightful ownership.
Speaking to the Nairobi City County Assembly’s Planning Committee, the group’s chairperson, Halima Gole, accused unidentified individuals of attempting to push them off their land.
She explained that the parcel was a gift from founding President Jomo Kenyatta in 1966 and later became the site where the school was established with support from both the women and the government.
“They come at midnight, break into our houses, and order us to leave. Our homes have been burned three times. Some of our women are sick; others have died in the middle of this. All we want is justice. This land belongs to us, and we have the documents to prove it,” Gole told the committee, chaired by Kitisuru MCA Alvin Palapala.
The Kamukunji Deputy County Commissioner, Fredrick Martin Muli, reported the matter to the Ministry of Lands, asking the Director of Survey to verify the claims on March 13. After visiting the site, he said it was unclear whether the area claimed by the women was separate from or part of the school’s property.
The process stalled when a third claimant, identified as Mr Kariuki, emerged, complicating the investigation. “The matter is becoming murky and complicated,” said Muli. He added that while the Ministry of Education built a perimeter wall in 2018 to protect the school, the land still does not have a formal title deed, leaving it vulnerable to multiple claims.
Area MP Yusuf Hassan and Sub-County Education Director Luley Abdullahi Yahya insist the land belongs to the school. They described the women’s claim as part of wider attempts to seize public land.
“There have been several attempts to seize this land using various groups,” MP Hassan said. “We stand firmly with Maina Wanjigi Secondary School against land cartels.”
He noted that the Ministry of Education’s legal team is now managing the dispute, highlighting that the contested land was included in the ministry-funded boundary wall erected seven years ago. Despite this, the absence of a formal title leaves the women fearful that their cultural and residential legacy could be lost.
