The Ministry of Education has uncovered a shocking case of over 50,000 ghost students in public secondary schools across Kenya. This revelation comes as part of an ongoing verification exercise that has so far only covered 50 percent of schools.
According to officials, the ghost students were being used by unscrupulous individuals to fraudulently access government capitation funds. Each student in public secondary schools receives government subsidies for tuition and other costs, meaning taxpayers have been footing bills for learners who do not exist.
The ministry is now intensifying its audit to ensure that every learner in the system is accounted for. If the numbers continue at the current rate, the total ghost students could surpass 100,000 nationwide, a major setback to efforts aimed at ensuring transparency in education funding.
Education stakeholders have raised alarm over the massive fraud, calling for tougher measures against school administrators and cartels who may have colluded in inflating student rolls. The government insists the verification will continue until every learner is confirmed through the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
This discovery raises tough questions about accountability and highlights the need for stronger monitoring systems to protect public funds and guarantee that the money reaches genuine students.
