Kenya has cleared at least 44,495 schools for capitation, even as a nationwide audit continues to reveal tens of thousands of ghost learners and non-existent schools.
The Ministry of Education’s verification exercise has uncovered 87,000 ghost learners, sparking concerns that nearly Ksh1 billion in capitation funds may have been misappropriated. Investigators have also identified 10 schools across 10 counties with no learners at all.
The discrepancies came to light during a nationwide verification of Basic Education institutions. An Auditor General’s report indicates that falsified enrolment figures have cost the country over Ksh4 billion in the past four years.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba confirmed the ongoing audit has flagged thousands of fictitious learners and non-existent schools, warning that those responsible will face sanctions.
“We have so far uncovered 87,000 ghost learners in public schools. The government will take action against individuals who inflated enrolment figures. Heads must roll,” Ogamba said.
He explained that officials are physically inspecting schools with major discrepancies before taking any punitive action.
“We do not want to condemn people falsely,” he added, noting that nearly Ksh1 billion remains unreleased because reported figures do not match ministry records.
“That would indicate that previously, there could have been numbers higher than they should have been. Once we correlate that, we hand it over for confirmation. Those unable to explain discrepancies will face consequences. We are a country governed by rules,” Ogamba said.
The ministry’s verification has also revealed deliberate inflation of enrolment figures in some schools. Ogamba stated that the findings will be handed over to investigative agencies while officials continue to review and validate data internally.
“We do not want to incriminate people wrongly,” he said, emphasizing that the audit aims to clean up school data and close loopholes that have allowed misuse of public funds.
As of November 10, 2025, 246 primary schools and 102 junior schools had not submitted updated enrolment data, although all secondary schools have been cleared. State Department for Basic Education Director General Elyas Abdi said schools with questionable data will be isolated and physically inspected once the verification concludes.
Ogamba maintained that the over-enrolment figures are lower than some claims.
“They are about 87,000 so far. But verification must be thorough to eliminate errors,” he said, noting that the official audit findings have been postponed for the fourth time since the exercise began on September 5, 2025.
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