Kenya’s education sector faces a major accountability crisis. The Ministry of Education has uncovered 87,000 ghost learners in public schools. A nationwide audit of Basic Education institutions shows widespread data falsification. Schools have been inflating enrolment numbers to access more capitation funds meant for real learners.
An Auditor-General’s report shows the government has lost over KSh 4 billion in four years due to fake enrolment data. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed that thousands of fictitious learners and several non-existent schools have been identified. He warned that those responsible will face punishment once the verification exercise ends.
The ongoing audit reveals a clear pattern. Many schools submitted exaggerated learner numbers to receive extra funding. CS Ogamba said the ministry is holding back almost KSh 1 billion because some schools’ figures do not also match actual enrolment on the ground.
“We have so far uncovered 87,000 ghost learners in public schools. The government will take action. Heads must roll,” Ogamba said. He also noted that schools with major discrepancies are now undergoing physical checks. The ministry wants to avoid punishing innocent teachers and officers.
The audit began on September 5, 2025. It has moved slowly due to large data gaps. Some schools have also been found with no learners at all, yet they may have received government funds. Ogamba told Parliament that investigators are now checking past payments to these schools. The ministry is also tracing the officers, bank accounts, and institutions linked to the fraud.
Weak Oversight and a Strained Monitoring System
The scandal exposes deep weaknesses in Kenya’s education monitoring system. Kenya has more than 53,000 basic learning institutions. Yet only 600 Quality Assurance Officers and 200 auditors oversee them. Many officers operate in remote areas without transport. Oversight has therefore been extremely limited.
This weak system allowed fraud to thrive. Some schools inflated numbers for years without detection. By November 10, more than 300 schools had still failed to submit updated enrolment data. This shows how widespread non-compliance has become.
Director-General Elyas Abdi said the ministry will inspect schools with suspicious data after verification ends. However, those found guilty will face disciplinary action.
The Kenya Primary Schools Heads Association (Kepsha) urged caution. It argued that some discrepancies may be linked to failures in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). Kepsha Chairman Fuad Ali said many schools uploaded correct numbers but still received less capitation than expected.
“There was a problem in NEMIS. Those errors did not come from us,” he said. He added that the shift to the new Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) has helped fix these issues.
Members of Parliament remain frustrated. Many lawmakers questioned why the ministry has delayed action against officers who approved funds for ghost learners and schools. National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula told the CS to take decisive steps. Other MPs blamed entrenched cartels in the ministry for protecting fraudulent activities.
The road ahead
Despite political pressure, CS Ogamba insists that action will only be taken after verification ends. He said premature interdictions could lead to legal challenges. The ministry will also hand over the final audit report to investigative agencies to determine criminal responsibility.
These findings come as Kenya restructures its Comprehensive Schools system and adjusts capitation funding. The audit seeks to clean up school data, close loopholes, and ensure funds reach legitimate learners.
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