A battle is raging for the soul of England’s communities, as sports icons including Sir Mo Farah and Jill Scott lead a charge against government plans that could see local playing fields vanish under concrete. Their fight sounds a loud alarm for Kenya, where the grab of public land is not a future threat, but a painful, present reality.

The controversy in the UK centres on a proposal to remove Sport England, a watchdog body, from its legal role in reviewing planning applications for housing developments on sports fields. This is part of a government push to build 1.5 million new homes, but critics warn it dismantles a crucial safeguard that protects these vital community assets. Once a field is gone, they argue, it is gone forever.

In an open letter, 88 of Britain's top athletes and sports bodies expressed deep concern, noting that such changes would hit the poorest communities the hardest. They reminded officials that before these protections were in place, an estimated 10,000 playing fields were lost between 1979 and 1996. "These spaces are not just playing fields – they are vital infrastructure for health and wellbeing, community sport, and children’s play," the letter warns.

A Familiar Struggle for Nairobi's Children

This struggle is deeply familiar in Nairobi. The grabbing of school playgrounds and public spaces has become a plague, often pitting communities against powerful private developers. One of the most infamous cases involved Lang'ata Primary School in 2015, where pupils were teargassed during a protest to reclaim their playground from a developer who had fenced it off. More recently, residents in Nairobi West have protested the alleged conversion of a children's playground into a private parking lot.

The problem is systemic. A staggering 26,000 out of 31,000 public schools in Kenya lack title deeds, leaving them dangerously vulnerable to encroachment. Despite government promises to secure this land, fraudulent transfers and forged documents remain common tactics used by grabbers. In June 2025, the government celebrated handing over a title deed to Lavington Primary School after a 15-year court battle to reclaim its 13-acre piece of land.

More Than Just a Game

The loss of these spaces is a direct blow to the future of Kenyan youth. For many, sports are more than just recreation; they are a pathway to opportunity and a vital tool for community cohesion. Community sports in Kenya have been shown to prevent conflict, provide alternatives to radicalisation, and teach invaluable life skills like discipline and teamwork.

While Kenya has laws like the Protected Areas Act, and Nairobi County has proposed bills to safeguard open spaces, enforcement remains a monumental challenge. The UK's potential policy shift serves as a cautionary tale: the legal frameworks designed to protect community assets are precious. Weakening them, whether in London or Nairobi, risks accelerating the loss of spaces essential for raising healthy, engaged, and hopeful generations.

As former footballer Jill Scott noted about her own childhood, "I wouldn't be where I am today without that green space... every child deserves that same chance." It is a sentiment that echoes powerfully across every Kenyan community fighting to save the last patch of green for its children.