Hundreds of Garissa High School students yesterday took to the streets to protest grabbing of the institution’s land.
Carrying placards that read, “Our land, our school our future”, the demonstrators who included former students marched to the grabbed portion.
Sensing danger, workers hurriedly picked their tools and fled with students in hot pursuit. Nobody was injured.
Speaking to the press, the Student’s Council chairman Ahmed Mohamed said it’s wrong for developers to encroach on the land.
“We will fight whoever is behind the grabbing to the end, regardless of his or her position in the community,” Ahmed said.
Abdikani Ibrahim, a parent, wondered how such a project can continue without the approval of the county directorate of planning.
When journalists went to the site, they found construction workers put up a structure along the road reserve and on part of the school compound.
Speaking to the press in his office, principal Abdi Moulid said the developer started work when schools were closed. The school will not give away an inch of land, he said.
Moulid said there are eight private developers with fake titles. Ten years ago a student was killed during a protest over land between the school and the defunct municipal council.
But speaking separately, one developer, who sought anonymity, said they were building stalls “on their land”, which borders the school compound.