Former Roots Party deputy presidential candidate Justina Wamae is calling for sweeping reforms to give the Office of the Auditor General prosecutorial powers, following revelations of massive irregularities in the Ministry of Education’s textbook distribution program.

Wamae’s remarks come in response to a damning audit report indicating that taxpayers may have lost over Sh540 million due to the mismanagement of textbook deliveries coordinated by the Ministry and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).

Taking to her official X account on Friday, July 18, 2025, Wamae criticized what she described as a recurring culture of impunity that often follows such audits.

“This is happening as secondary schools are struggling with underfunding. And the sad bit is that the Auditor-General’s report will be handed to a parliamentary committee, we all know how that story ends,” she posted.

She went on to stress the need for legal reforms: “Even more reason why the Office of the Auditor General should have prosecutor powers.”

The audit, recently tabled before Parliament, reveals extensive inefficiencies and misallocation in the distribution of learning materials to public schools.

According to the findings, 394 secondary schools, 94 junior secondary schools (JSS), and 182 primary schools received textbook supplies far beyond their needs—amounting to Sh90.8 million in excess materials.

At the same time, 415 secondary schools and hundreds of JSS and primary schools were shortchanged by nearly Ksh295.6 million worth of textbooks.

The report lists 370,732 excess books delivered to secondary schools, 15,920 to JSS, and 28,600 to primary schools. In contrast, shortfalls included 1.2 million books missing from secondary schools, 82,922 from JSS, and 85,050 from primary schools.

The value of the shortfall stands at Sh295.6 million, while the excess deliveries are valued at Sh90.8 million, bringing the total estimated loss to the public at over Sh540 million.

The audit also uncovered that a significant number of schools received textbooks for subjects not taught. Specifically, 118 secondary schools were issued 134,199 such books, 225 JSS received 12,137, and 26 primary schools got 281, all totaling Sh30.3 million in unnecessary expenditure.

Wamae has now joined growing calls for accountability, arguing that current legal frameworks are too weak to deter such waste. She urged Parliament to act decisively to empower oversight institutions with prosecutorial authority.

“This report is more than just numbers, it’s a reflection of systemic failure and misplaced priorities. If we are serious about accountability, we must give teeth to the Auditor General’s office,” she said.