• Prayers Beyond Boundaries Ministries headed by Lucy wa Ngunjiri has occupied the school playground for four years after an MoU expired.
• The school management kept off the matter during its celebration but decried the poor state of affairs in the institution.
City Primary School on Friday celebrated 80 years since its commissioning in 1940.
It was opened on February 14 by the then-colonial governor and Queen's Representative, Sir Henry Moore, just a year after the first stone was laid to commence construction.
Documented history shows that the school architectural design was done together with that of Jamhuri Secondary School. Initially, they were Asians-only schools, with the primary wing getting the title City in 1950.
The celebrations came at a time when the school is embroiled in a land ownership dispute with a church, which has occupied part of its compound. The church, Prayers Beyond Boundaries Ministries headed by Lucy wa Ngunjiri, has occupied the playground four years after its MoU with the county government expired.
The school says the church is occupying its land illegally, a claim strongly denied by the church. The management kept off the matter during its celebration but decried the poor state of affairs in the school.
Headteacher Susan Muthwii on Friday expressed concern over inadequate funds for the institution's operation. She appealed to those in attendance to adopt needy children.
"We have very many children here who come from poor backgrounds and have limited access to the basic school requirement," Muthwii said.
The once fine architecture that defined a less populated city in the colonial era remains a shadow of its former self, with its buildings having become old and rusty.
"We are determined to take this school to the next level," the headteacher said. "We request that you help where you can."