A coalition of child rights advocates is calling on the Ministry of Education to release the full results of a verification exercise that exposed widespread enrolment fraud in public schools.
Tunza Mtoto Coalition, through its lawyers Ashioya Mogire and Nkatha Advocates, wants the ministry to disclose the names of schools involved, the total number of ghost students, and measures taken against officials implicated in the scheme.
The verification process, launched in early September 2025, came after a special audit by the Office of the Auditor General uncovered serious irregularities in the education sector. That audit showed that 33 fictitious schools had received billions of shillings over the past four years.
By the end of October, the Ministry reported finding roughly 50,000 ghost students from a sample of 12,000 public schools.
Tunza Mtoto Coalition emphasizes that Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok have a legal and constitutional duty to ensure transparency and public accountability.
“Our client’s attention has been drawn to statements made by Dr Bitok, and with the recent release of capitation funds, it is our view that the verification exercise has concluded. Accordingly, the Ministry of Education bears a legal and constitutional obligation of transparency and accountability to make public the full findings of the verification exercise, pursuant to Article 35(1)(a) & (b) of the Constitution (Right of access to information), Article 10(2)(c) on national values and principles of governance, including transparency, accountability and good governance; and Sections 4 and 5 of the Access to Information Act, No. 31 of 2016,” reads the coalition’s letter dated October 28, 2025.
The letter notes that the findings point to “serious irregularities suggestive of fraud, corruption and potential loss of public funds,” violating public finance management rules set out in Article 201 of the Constitution, the Public Finance Management Act, the Penal Code, and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act.
Tunza Mtoto Coalition is demanding that within seven days, the Ministry publish the full report, list schools involved, and outline the scale of enrolment discrepancies.
It also requests a full account of any administrative, disciplinary, or criminal measures taken against school leaders, ministry officials, or others found to have participated in the fraudulent practices.
The ministry is further expected to detail steps taken to prevent similar fraud in future capitation fund allocations.
“Take notice that should you fail, neglect, or refuse to comply with this lawful demand within the stipulated period, we shall, upon our client’s instructions, institute appropriate legal proceedings, including but not limited to filing a Constitutional Petition under Article 35 and the Access to Information Act to compel disclosure and seeking orders for accountability, recovery and restitution of any misappropriated public funds in the public interest,” the letter warns.
Copies of the letter have been shared with the chairperson of the National Assembly Committee on Education, the Auditor General, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Controller of Budget.
