- The government stopped Sh912 million in capitation for ghost learners
- Audit found inflated enrolment figures in NEMIS records
- Over 973,000 non-existent learners were detected nationwide
- Most fake entries were in public primary schools
- Some non-operational schools were still receiving funds
The Ministry of Education has saved Sh912 million after uncovering thousands of fake student records in public schools.
The discovery followed a nationwide forensic audit launched on September 1, 2025. The review targeted enrolment data entered into the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which is used to determine government capitation funding.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba released the findings on Thursday evening at Jogoo House in Nairobi.
According to the audit, 973,634 learners listed in the system could not be verified on the ground.
Public primary schools had the highest number of irregular entries. NEMIS records showed 5,833,175 pupils enrolled, but the verification exercise confirmed only 4,947,271 learners.
This revealed 885,904 ghost pupils in primary schools alone.
Secondary schools were also affected, with 87,730 inflated enrolment figures uncovered.
Capitation for free primary, junior secondary, secondary, and special needs education is issued strictly based on learner numbers recorded in NEMIS.
Because of the audit, the ministry was able to withhold payments meant for the non-existent students. The total amount retained stood at Sh912 million.
The savings also included allocations to 27 schools that were not operational. These institutions had closed due to insecurity, relocation of communities, lack of students, or administrative decisions, but were still appearing active in the system.
Ogamba linked the discrepancies to school heads and subcounty education directors.
He said some administrators inflated enrolment data, while others failed to correct or report errors in time. Weak monitoring systems also contributed to the problem.
The CS stressed that accurate data entry and proper supervision are critical to protect public funds.
Following the findings, the ministry is expected to strengthen oversight of NEMIS records to prevent similar cases in the future.
The audit has raised fresh concerns about accountability in public schools, with officials promising firm action to safeguard education funds going forward.
