A government review has revealed that dozens of schools previously thought to be operating are in fact no longer functioning, highlighting serious weaknesses in the management of education data.
At least 27 public schools, including 10 secondary and 17 primary institutions, were still listed as active in the National Education Management Information System despite having closed for reasons ranging from insecurity to community relocation or low student numbers.
“The status had not been reported to the Ministry and continued to appear in NEMIS,” the report reads.
The nationwide verification exercise covered all 47 counties and included public primary, junior, secondary, and special needs schools. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the audit aimed to match enrolment and school records in NEMIS with independently verified data submitted by heads of institutions and Sub-County Directors of Education, ensuring that government resources are allocated correctly.
The review exposed large discrepancies in enrolment figures that influence how capitation funds are distributed. Primary school numbers fell from 5,833,175 learners listed in NEMIS to 4,947,271, a drop of 885,904 learners.
Secondary schools saw enrolment decline from 3,352,884 to 3,265,154, while junior schools showed an increase from 2,430,398 to 2,973,648 learners, suggesting delays or under-reporting during the transition to the competency-based curriculum.
The audit also found numerous unauthenticated learner records, including missing or invalid Unique Personal Identifiers, duplicated assessment numbers, and mismatched examination centre codes.
Additionally, 102 junior schools and 84 primary schools were operating below the required minimum enrolment, raising concerns about sustainability and the efficient use of public funds.
Weak oversight at the sub-county level was cited as a major factor, with discrepancies neither reported nor corrected in time. Ogamba emphasized that school heads are responsible for the accuracy of records.
“Any deliberate falsification, inflation or misrepresentation of enrolment data constitutes gross misconduct and a breach of public trust,” he said. Sub-County Directors of Education will also face action where failures in supervision are identified.
The Ministry has sent the findings to the Teachers Service Commission for disciplinary action against 14 heads of institutions who failed to submit data for verification and 20 who submitted inflated figures.
In addition, 28 Sub-County Directors of Education and Quality Assurance officers are facing administrative action for systemic failures. Cases with potential criminal elements have been referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
As an immediate step, capitation for unverified learners has been suspended and will only resume after records are authenticated. Schools identified as non-operational will be formally closed or deregistered in accordance with existing laws.
Ogamba said the exercise will now be conducted every school term to ensure that public funds reach actual learners and that data reflects the true state of schools.
The exercise faced challenges, including poor internet connectivity in remote areas, incomplete submissions from some schools, and lack of trained personnel to manage education records. Verification of early grade learners was also affected by the absence of birth certificates for many children.
To address these challenges, the ministry plans to strengthen training for school heads and education officers in data management, accountability, and information security. The transition from NEMIS to the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) will be accelerated, introducing stronger validation controls, real-time reporting, and improved system interoperability.
Ogamba stressed that these reforms are necessary to restore discipline in education data, protect public funds, and ensure that resources reach legitimate learners. “This exercise is about accountability and ensuring that public resources serve real learners in functioning schools,” he said.
