Sh3.7 billion lost to ghost schools prompts nationwide audit
The Auditor-General’s June report revealed that between 2020 and 2024, Sh3.7 billion was lost to ghost schools and inflated enrolment records, draining resources meant for genuine learners.
An ongoing national audit has exposed major gaps in Kenya’s education system, revealing that over 1,000 schools have fewer than 10 learners, while some institutions have only one pupil despite multiple teachers.
The verification exercise, which concludes today, has highlighted inefficiencies that have contributed to the misuse of billions meant for public schools.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok said the exercise was prompted by a recent Auditor-General report exposing widespread losses.
“Is it really optimal utility of resources to have a school with only one learner with a number of teachers?” he asked, noting that the findings underscore the need to rethink school management.
The Auditor-General’s June report revealed that between 2020 and 2024, Sh3.7 billion was lost to ghost schools and inflated enrolment records, draining resources meant for genuine learners.
By Tuesday, more than 20,000 public schools had been verified out of a total of over 30,000, with county education directors instructed to consult local stakeholders to understand the causes of low enrolment and address challenges facing these schools.
Prof Bitok confirmed that the ministry has already released the first batch of capitation funds after receiving allocations from the National Treasury and plans to disburse Sh17 billion next week once the audit is completed.
“We are on track to ensure the right number of learners are getting this capitation,” he said, adding that all school accounts and enrolment details are being thoroughly checked.
The audit also seeks to restore public confidence in the distribution of education funds. Officials have long faced criticism for failing to ensure that money reaches the intended schools.
To prevent further misuse, the ministry is replacing the National Education Management Information System (Nemis) with the Kenya Education Management Information System (Kemis), a centralised platform designed to capture accurate data across all levels of education.
Prof Bitok described Kemis as a “game-changer” that will use technology to eliminate loopholes exploited in the past.
School heads had raised concerns that Nemis failed to account for learners without birth certificates, enabling fraudulent reporting and misallocation of capitation funds.
The new system is expected to streamline data management, improve accountability, and ensure that every shilling meant for education reaches its proper destination.
