The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered a 2.7-acre playground valued at KSh60 million that had been registered in the name of a church women’s guild, restoring the public facility to three primary schools in Kikuyu, Kiambu County.
The recovery follows an October 5, 2026, judgment by the Environment and Land Court in Thika, which declared the allocation and registration of the land to the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) Ruguthi Women’s Guild illegal.
The playground was reserved for Kanyiha, Lusigetti and Njumbi primary schools and serves more than 1,300 pupils who use the facility for sports, recreation and other school activities.
In its ruling, the court declared that the land was public property held in trust for the three schools and ordered the cancellation of the title deed registered in the guild’s name.
“Consequently, this Court finds that L.R. No. KARAI/KARAI/350 was public utility land set aside and reserved as a school playing field, held in trust by the defunct County Council of Kiambu for the public benefit and the students of the neighboring schools,” the court stated.
The court also directed the Land Registrar and the National Land Commission to register the property as public school land under the management of the three schools’ boards and the Ministry of Education.
The dispute dates back to 2001, when the playground was transferred to the church women’s guild. The land had initially been set aside by the former County Council of Kiambu for use as a school playing field in 1957.
EACC investigations established that there was no letter of offer or acceptance, evidence of rent or rates payment, or proof that the guild had paid for the land.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK), together with the three school boards, filed the case challenging the transfer. EACC participated as an interested party and presented evidence supporting the land’s public status.
The guild had argued that it obtained the property through the former local authority’s approval. It also maintained that the schools had their own playgrounds and disputed the need to share the disputed land.
However, the court found that the former county council had no legal authority to allocate land already reserved for public use without following the required procedures.
The ruling further barred the guild, its officials and representatives from fencing, developing, transferring or interfering with the playground.
The recovery safeguards the land for the benefit of current and future learners, ensuring that the facility remains available for education, sports and recreation rather than private use.