Bulldozers in the Classroom: The KFS vs. “Ghost School” Standoff

The tension between infrastructure expansion and environmental conservation reached a boiling point on January 3, 2026, in Baringo County. The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) executed a controversial operation in Makutani Forest, demolishing what locals claimed was a school but what the state termed a “two-room iron-sheet structure” erected to grab gazetted forest land. While KFS maintains that the structure was a Trojan horse for encroachment by pastoral communities in the Lekirati area, the incident exposes the dangerous friction generated by the rush to build infrastructure for the Grade 10 transition.

This specific demolition is a symptom of a much larger, systemic crisis. With the Ministry of Education pressing for the rapid construction of new classrooms, the definition of a “school” is becoming fluid on the ground. The Makutani incident highlights how the demand for education facilities is being weaponized—sometimes by local leaders to legitimize settlement in protected areas. Conversely, it shines a light on the precarious tenure of genuine educational institutions; currently, over 26,000 public schools in Kenya lack title deeds, leaving them legally defenseless against land disputes or accusations of encroachment.

The “Education vs. Ecology” war is no longer theoretical; it is physical. As KFS intensifies patrols to enforce the Forest Conservation and Management Act, and the Ministry of Education demands physical expansion for Senior Schools, communities are caught in the crossfire. The government is effectively fighting itself: one arm (MoE) is desperate for land to house learners, while another (KFS) is bulldozing structures to save trees. Without a synchronized land-use policy, the Senior School rollout risks becoming an ecological disaster, where “ghost schools” in forests become the new frontline of land conflict.

References:

The Kenya Times Truth Behind Govt Demolishing School Days to Reopening

Daily Nation Pressure mounts on Ministry as over 26,000 schools lack title deeds

People Daily Kenya Forest thwarts efforts to grab Makutani Forest in Baringo

The Star KFS dismisses claims of school demolition in Makutani forest operation