State to re-register all schools under KEMIS to eliminate ghost schools
The move follows revelations that Sh1.3 billion from the school infrastructure fund had been diverted to non-existent institutions in what MPs described as a well-planned fraud by ministry officials.
All schools across the country will soon be required to re-register under the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) as the Ministry of Education intensifies efforts to eliminate ghost schools and seal loopholes for fund misappropriation.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the move follows shocking revelations that Sh1.3 billion from the school infrastructure fund had been diverted to non-existent institutions in what Members of Parliament described as a well-planned fraud by ministry officials.
More To Read
- Audit finds classrooms, police posts and ICT hubs lying idle despite millions spent
- Bill proposes wealth declarations for school bursars and their families
- Education stakeholders urge EACC, DCI to probe Sh3.7 billion ghost schools scam
- Education CS Julius Ogamba put to task over Sh1.3 billion 'ghost school scandal'
- Senators demand answers over billions paid to ghost schools
- KICD dismisses Sh540 million loss claims in textbook supply, blames NEMIS data inaccuracies
The money, meant to improve learning facilities across the country, was reportedly allocated to fake schools that only existed on paper, complete with fictitious enrolment data and forged locations.
Speaking on Tuesday during an interview, Ogamba said ongoing investigations had uncovered the existence of ghost schools and called for tougher controls to ensure such institutions are completely wiped out.
“Going forward, to solve the problem of ghost schools, it is to have all schools which had registered on NEMIS re-register at KEMIS, the new system, so that we have clean data,” Ogamba said.
The CS said KEMIS, an upgrade of the previous NEMIS system, will now be used to register all legitimate schools afresh and update all existing records with verified information.
“We use the system to know the school, where it is, the number of students, and the number of teachers. A credible system,” he said.
Ogamba maintained that running ghost schools is a serious offence, saying the government had no policy that supports such practices.
“There is no government policy that supports this. That is an offense, and I stand by it. So we have formed a team in the Ministry that is working with the Auditor General; we flag this, and we deal with it once and for all,” Ogamba said.
He added that a joint task force comprising officials from the Ministry of Education and the Auditor General’s office had already been formed to identify and flag all ghost schools across the country.
“If there is a ghost school, the investigation will allow us to arrest those involved,” he said.
Ogamba also explained that to curb misappropriation, government funds are sent directly to verified school-owned bank accounts, not individuals, making it easier to monitor and audit disbursements.
He clarified that while KEMIS was initially developed to capture staff and student data, schools will now be required to submit full institutional information into the system to prevent double entries or data manipulation.
In response to student concerns, the CS addressed the recent reduction in university fees and delays in Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) disbursements. He announced that public university fees had been reduced by between 15 and 30 per cent to ease the burden on parents and guardians.
“I told the VCs not to chase away students as we resolved the challenges in the ministry,” he said, urging institutions not to penalise students during this transition period.
He instructed all Vice Chancellors to ensure the new fee structures are uploaded to university portals by August 15.
Ogamba also issued a stern warning to school heads withholding student certificates, calling the act a criminal offence.
“It’s a criminal offence to keep students’ certificates. We are recording all those cases, and we are going to take action,” he said.
“My advice to teachers: give out that certificate.”
Withholding certificates, often due to unpaid fees, has been a longstanding issue in Kenya, with critics saying it unfairly punishes students and blocks them from pursuing further education or employment.
The ministry has urged affected learners and their parents to report such incidents to local education offices or through official government channels.
Ogamba reiterated that the government is committed to transparency and public accountability.
Top Stories Today
