APICA wants back over 300 schools it says colonial masters 'grabbed'

The head of African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA) Archbishop Julius Njoroge blesses children during a service at Ngangarith AIPAC church last year. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The head of the church Archbishop Julius Njoroge said they have written a letter to the Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed seeking to gain control of the schools founded by the church between 1920 and 1953.

  • The schools which the church lost are spread across Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Nakuru Meru and Embu counties.

The head of the church Archbishop Julius Njoroge said they have written a letter to the Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed seeking to gain control of the schools founded by the church between 1920 and 1953.

Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Mr Njoroge said the schools were forcibly taken by the colonial government and given to District Education Boards (DEB) and other religious institutions such as the Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican churches.

To avoid dispute with other churches that currently control the schools, Archbishop Njoroge said AIPCA wants recognition and to be made a co-sponsor of the schools.

“We have written a covering letter and a memorandum with a list of schools that were owned by the church before independence. The letter was sent to the Cabinet secretary last week after President Uhuru Kenyatta’s declaration that the ministry should hand back the schools to the churches,” said Mr Njoroge.

'CO-SPONSORSHIP'

According to him, there is no controversy or backlash that is likely to be caused by the President’s directive since the properties were seized from AIPCA for associating with freedom fighters.

“Since the other churches have developed the schools mostly in terms of infrastructure, we want to be made co-sponsors and have our own representative in the boards of management,” he said.

The schools which the church lost are spread across Nairobi, Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Laikipia, Nakuru Meru and Embu counties.

While lauding Mr Kenyatta's directive, Archbishop Njoroge said the church has been reclaiming the institutions since the regime of the first President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

“We have written numerous letters to the government and none has ever been replied. Between 2009 and 2012 during the reign of Archbishop Samson Gaitho we agitated for restoration of the ownership but it also never bore fruits,” said Mr Njoroge.

The church’s education board secretary in Nyeri, Reverend Kariuki Muriithi attributed the delay on restoration of ownership to bureaucracy in the government.

“Most of the schools in Central Kenya named DEB (District Education Boards) were owned by the church. Bureaucracy in the government and political interests have delayed restoration. But there are no enough reasons as to why we should not have the ownership back,” said Reverend Muriithi, who is also the chaplain of Gathungururu Girls High School, which is sponsored by the church.

He added: “We are pleading with government to reinstate them back to the founders. We are reclaiming them formally. The church’s central board has already taken the issue with the ministry.”

According to him, it is in the great interest of the church to have the rightful ownership of the schools it started way back in 1924.

Mr Njoroge said that the church currently sponsors more than 200 other schools which it started after the others were taken over by the colonial government.