Ksh.1.1 billion paid to ‘ghost’ students for capitation - Education CS Ogamba reveals

It has now emerged that the government has been disbursing Ksh.1.1 billion to ghost students in public schools across the years.

The number could even be higher considering that the verification process is not complete, with 934 schools yet to present their data to the ministry.

The verification process has already led to the closure of 10 secondary schools that the Ministry of Education says had no students.

The revelation by Education Cabinet Secretary Migos Ogamba when he appeared before the National Assembly plenary on Wednesday drew anger from the Members of Parliament who accused him of presiding over cartels in the ministry.

“This exercise has bone fruits, because as we have completed the exercise with only 934 schools yet to be verified. The balance we are having is Ksh.1.1 billion that we have been releasing to students that do not exist, that is why this exercise is important,” CS Ogamba told MPs.

Lawmakers demanded what action the CS has taken to ministry officers, especially after admitting that corruption is rife within the docket.

“You have officers who have a duty to keep and update records of schools continuously, that public money has been wired to non-existent schools for non-existent students, how many of your officers have you interdicted for doing this criminal act?” Posed Speaker Moses Wetangula.

However, the CS defended himself as he insisted that the verification process is not complete and action could only be taken once the culpable officers have been identified.

“We have not interdicted anyone because we have not completed the exercise, once we complete the exercise we will know who is involved which bank account was used and which sub county is affected,” he said.

However, the answer did not seem to satisfy MPs who claimed that the CS is being complicit.

“The CS is disappointing me, it does not need days, if something is going wrong and we have identified where there is corruption, just pinpoint which school was non-existent and identify which officer and throw them out of office,” said Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo.

“The CS is playing tricks on us so that we go to next year with the same problems, he may be the beneficiary of the same cartels that is stealing from Kenyans,” claimed Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala.