People’s Liberation Party (PLP) leader and 2027 presidential hopeful Martha Karua has condemned what she described as a violent attack against her and members of the Board of Directors of Gatoto Primary School after a visit to Mukuru kwa Reuben to oversee the implementation of a High Court judgement ended in chaos.

In a statement issued by the PLP Party on Friday, July 10, 2026, Karua accused the National Police Service of failing to comply with court orders requiring officers to provide security during the implementation of the judgement, saying the incident amounted to a serious attack on the rule of law and constitutional governance.

The senior counsel says she accompanied officials from the school’s Board of Directors to Gatoto Primary School to witness the enforcement of a High Court decision in Petition No. E686 of 2024, which restored the school’s management to its Board of Directors.

Insecurity

According to Karua, the High Court had expressly directed the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Mukuru kwa Reuben Police Station to provide security during the implementation of its orders.

However, she claimed the directive was not honoured.

Karua said that upon reporting to the police station, the OCS was unavailable, while his deputy declined to authorise the deployment of officers, stating that only the OCS could approve the request.

Without the promised security, Karua and members of the board proceeded to the school, where they allegedly found the gates locked despite the subsisting court orders.

“The High Court had expressly directed the Officer Commanding Mukuru kwa Reuben Police Station to provide security during the implementation of its orders. Despite that clear directive, the required security was not provided,” PLP stated.

“Upon reporting to the police station, the Officer Commanding Station was unavailable, while his deputy declined to facilitate the court-ordered security, stating that only the OCS could authorize the deployment.”

Vehicle damaged in attack

Karua said the situation quickly deteriorated after journalists arrived at the scene.

She alleged that a small group of individuals turned violent, pelting stones at the board members’ vehicle and forcing them to flee.

As her vehicle left the area, one of the attackers allegedly struck its rear windscreen with a rungu, shattering the glass, while more stones caused additional damage to the vehicle.

No injuries were immediately reported.

“The sequence of events raises profound concerns about the willingness of public institutions to uphold lawful court orders and protect citizens seeking to enforce them through peaceful and lawful means,” Karua said.

She argued that the incident reflected “an increasingly troubling pattern” in which violence and intimidation are used to frustrate lawful judicial processes.

Calls for investigation

Karua called for an immediate investigation into both the attack and the alleged failure by police to implement the High Court’s orders.

She urged authorities to hold accountable everyone found responsible, including anyone whose actions or omissions contributed to the incident.

“Today’s events are not merely about Gatoto Primary School,” she said.

“They raise a broader national question about whether Kenyans can continue to rely on public institutions to enforce court decisions impartially and protect those exercising their constitutional rights.”

She further warned that constitutional governance could not survive if state institutions selectively complied with court orders.

Long-running dispute over Gatoto Primary

The confrontation is the latest chapter in a protracted legal battle over the management of Gatoto Community Primary School in Mukuru kwa Reuben.

The dispute pits the school’s original community-based management against public authorities over the institution’s governance and ownership.

In June 2025, the High Court delivered judgment in Petition E686 of 2024, addressing the governance dispute surrounding the school and issuing orders on its management.

Attempts to implement subsequent court directives have repeatedly generated tension.

Earlier this month, another attempt to enforce a court-ordered handover also descended into chaos after a hostile crowd blocked access to the school, forcing Karua, lawyers and school officials to leave the premises under police watch. Reports from the scene indicated that parents and residents opposed the takeover, insisting the school should remain a public institution.