Top schools flagged for illegal fees and uniform procurement in Auditor General’s report
A report by the Auditor General shows that some parents were forced to pay as much as Sh1.2 million for projects initiated by schools, while others parted with between Sh100,000 and Sh300,000.
Multiple secondary schools across the country have been flagged for illegally charging parents additional fees and procuring uniforms without approval from the Ministry of Education.
A report by the Auditor General shows that some parents were forced to pay as much as Sh1.2 million for projects initiated by schools, while others parted with between Sh100,000 and Sh300,000.
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Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said a review of various audit reports revealed a worrying trend of non-compliance, with many schools also submitting inaccurate student data to the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
Among the schools cited are Loreto Kiambu Girls’ High, Starehe Boys Centre in Nairobi, Shimo la Tewa in Mombasa, St Josephine Bakhita Masinga in Machakos, Thika High School in Kiambu, Jomo Kenyatta Boys High in Nakuru, Mama Ngina Girls Secondary in Mombasa County, Nakuru Girls’ High, St Anne’s Secondary in Lioki and Bura Girls High in Taita Taveta County.
The audit comes shortly after Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro disclosed that the Ministry of Education had circulated a notice to day secondary school principals indicating plans to slash capitation from Sh22,000 to Sh12,000 per year.
“I have been receiving calls from principals that the ministry has sent them a circular purportedly referring to a gazette notice of 2015, wanting to reduce the capitation allocation for the day schools. This is totally unacceptable, and I will do everything within my powers as a member of parliament to see the government rescind this decision,” Nyoro said.
The report highlights that Loreto Kiambu Girls’ High charged unapproved additional fees totalling Sh1,296,741 per student for school projects, without authorisation from the Education Cabinet Secretary. This, the report notes, violates Government Circular No. MOE.HQS/3/13/3 dated 16 June 2021, which limits parent contributions to school uniforms, boarding costs, and lunch for day scholars.
“In the circumstances, Management was in breach of law,” reads the report.
At Starehe Boys Centre, a Category A school, the audit found that management charged parents varying fees from Sh140,000 to Sh300,000 depending on ability, contrary to Ministry of Education Circular MOE-HQS/311313, which mandates that Category A boarding schools charge Sh67,244 with written approval from the CS.
The report further noted that fully paying and partially sponsored students’ fees amounted to Sh89,820,000, resulting in an overstatement of Sh2,784,558.
“In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of receiving charitable support of Sh92,604,558 could not be confirmed,” reads the report.
The audit also found that Starehe Boys Centre spent Sh8,384,341 on uniforms, shoes and bedding from a single supplier, in breach of Regulation 67(3) of the Basic Education Act, 2015, which prohibits schools from prescribing specific suppliers for uniforms or materials.
Data discrepancies were flagged at Thika High School, where NEMIS recorded 1,728 students for the 2023/2024 financial year, while the County Director of Education recorded 2,044, a variance of 316 students. The discrepancy led to underfunding of Sh2,601,950 and violated Ministry of Education Circulars on Free Day Secondary Education, which require all learners to be accurately registered on NEMIS.
The audit highlights ongoing governance and compliance challenges in public secondary schools, raising urgent concerns over transparency, financial management and adherence to Ministry of Education directives.
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