Ksh183 Billion Heist in Education Ministry Exposed

The Ministry of Education is under fire following shocking revelations that Ksh183 billion in school funding has vanished or been misused.

Senator Kanar Seki of Kajiado dropped the bombshell in a Senate session on Wednesday, July 22, citing a damning audit report that shows rampant underfunding and financial mismanagement in Kenya’s education sector.

While students are squeezed in overcrowded classrooms and teachers remain understaffed, billions meant to support their learning were reportedly siphoned off. The scandal has left many wondering: who stole the future of Kenya’s children?

The Missing School Funding Billions scandal brutally attacks the right to education. As powerful officials looted billions, children across Kenya sat in broken classrooms, hungry and hopeless. The Ministry of Education must give answers, and the culprits must face justice. Kenya’s children deserve far better. [Photo: Courtesy]

The Truth Behind the Missing School Funding Billions

A special audit report covering the Financial Years 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 has exposed deep-rooted rot within the Ministry of Education. The report paints a grim picture of how billions were diverted while the education system crumbles under pressure.

According to the report, public schools were denied crucial funds. Secondary schools were underfunded by Ksh71 billion, Junior Secondary Schools (JSS) by Ksh31 billion, and primary schools by Ksh14 billion. Shockingly, programs for Special Needs Education in secondary schools suffered a shortfall of Ksh67 billion.

This isn’t just about missing numbers. It’s about classrooms without desks, children learning under trees, and students sent home due to unpaid school fees.

Senator Kanar Seki didn’t mince his words. “These revelations raise fundamental questions about transparency and accountability within the Ministry of Education and related agencies,” he said.

He laid the blame on corrupt officials who allowed billions to be disbursed to ghost schools. Seki questioned how 14 fake schools managed to appear in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS). These “schools” do not exist physically, yet they received capitation funds as if they were operational.

How Officials Stole from Kenya’s Future

The looting scheme was cleverly designed. Rogue ministry insiders, in collaboration with Treasury officials, manipulated the NEMIS database. They inserted fake schools, padded up enrollment numbers, and approved payments without proper verification.

Each school listed in NEMIS is entitled to government capitation based on student population. By inflating numbers and creating phantom institutions, corrupt officers ensured massive payouts from the government. This method guaranteed regular disbursements that went straight into private pockets.

According to whistleblowers within the system, officials in charge of data entry, validation, and fund disbursement worked in cahoots. Some even registered schools that had been shut down years ago. Others approved payments to learning institutions that had no physical buildings or teaching staff.

The Senate heard that capitation funds meant to support infrastructure, books, teacher recruitment, and meals were diverted, leaving public education to decay.

“This is betrayal of the Kenyan people,” said Seki. “Students are learning in overcrowded classrooms, some sitting on the floor, while billions are stolen.”

He pressed for the immediate identification and prosecution of those involved. He also demanded to know whether the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury are planning to recover the looted funds and punish the guilty.

Who Will Be Held Accountable for the Missing School Funding Billions

The Senate’s Standing Committee on Education now faces growing pressure to act. Seki urged the committee to provide answers. Why were 14 ghost schools listed in NEMIS? Who signed off the disbursements? What oversight failures allowed this to happen?

He also called for an immediate verification exercise to cleanse the NEMIS database. Without it, more billions will continue flowing into the hands of thieves while learners suffer.

Education is a constitutional right in Kenya, but that right is being denied by those entrusted to protect it.

Parents are already struggling to pay school levies. Teachers are overwhelmed by large class sizes. Many schools lack water, toilets, or electricity. Yet the government claimed it was fully funding free primary and secondary education.

Kenyans now demand justice.

The Senate must ensure that the individuals who looted these billions are exposed, prosecuted, and permanently barred from holding public office. Parliament must push for tighter systems to monitor school funding and disbursement. Audit trails must be public. Transparency must become non-negotiable.

If the government truly cares about the next generation, it must recover every stolen shilling and reinvest it in the schools that desperately need it.