KICD dismisses Sh540 million loss claims in textbook supply, blames NEMIS data inaccuracies

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) has clarified that no public funds were lost in the supply of textbooks and learning materials, despite an audit report raising concerns about possible losses amounting to Sh540 million.

According to the institute, the discrepancies flagged in the Auditor General’s report in the Financial Year 2023/2024 are a result of inaccurate learner and school data recorded in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) and not financial mismanagement.

KICD Chief Executive Officer Charles Ong’ondo said the inconsistencies stemmed from mismatches in learner enrolment and school records captured on the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which affected distribution figures.

“There is no single cent lost. The concerns stem from inaccurate learner and school numbers on NEMIS,” Ong’ondo said.

He emphasised that KICD was preparing a detailed response for submission to Parliament addressing all concerns raised in the audit.

Ong’ondo further defended the institute’s operations, saying all books delivered to schools aligned with the approved curriculum and that suggestions of “irrelevant” learning materials being supplied were misplaced.

“There is no issue of irrelevant books. Every book delivered was within the curriculum,” he said.

The CEO also clarified that KICD has no control over the presence or absence of teachers for specific subjects, as that responsibility lies with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the Ministry of Education.

He dismissed claims that books were sent to non-existent institutions, stating, “The lists used for book distribution come from the Ministry of Education. Unless the Ministry registers a school, it cannot be on our system. So there is no possibility of ghost schools.”

Ong’ondo said that KICD only releases payments once delivery is confirmed.

“No payment is made without signed delivery notes from headteachers,” he said.

The audit report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, covering the 2020–21 to 2023–24 financial years, flagged irregularities in the implementation of the textbook distribution programme.

It noted that while the Ministry of Education disbursed Sh27.8 billion to the institute over the period, KICD confirmed receiving Sh28.2 billion, revealing an unexplained difference of Sh378 million.

The programme was meant to ensure equitable access to learning materials for students in public schools. However, the audit found that hundreds of institutions received more textbooks than required, resulting in over-supply valued at Sh90.8 million. Conversely, some schools experienced severe shortages, with the shortfall estimated at Sh295 million.

In other cases, schools received books for subjects they do not offer, causing a misallocation of resources worth Sh30.3 million. The report further indicated that some institutions either did not receive books at all or received fewer copies than allocated, accounting for a Sh41.4 million loss.

Other Topics To Read

• Headlines
• Education
• Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development
• KICD kenya
• NEMIS
• school textbooks
• CBC textbooks
• KICD CEO Charles Ong’ondo
• National Education Management Information System
• KICD Director Charles Ong’ondo
• Textbook procurement
• KICD dismisses Sh540 million loss claims in textbook supply
• blames NEMIS data inaccuracies

Delivery delays were also noted, with some consignments arriving between three and 37 months late. The audit cited that at least 110 schools failed to maintain proper records of textbooks, teacher guides and instructional materials received during the period under review.

KICD maintains that all its processes followed due procedure and attributes the flagged issues to systemic data problems, not misuse of funds.