A fresh audit has revealed that a number of well-known secondary schools have been asking parents to pay charges that are not allowed under government rules, while others have been buying school uniforms in ways that go against set procurement laws.
The findings point to widespread disregard for Ministry of Education guidelines, with parents in some cases being billed amounts running into hundreds of thousands of shillings.
According to the report by the Auditor General, the extra charges went far beyond what schools are allowed to collect, with some families paying between Sh100,000 and Sh300,000, and in extreme cases up to Sh1.2 million for different school projects.
The report also shows that several schools presented incorrect student numbers to the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), leading to funding gaps and concerns about the accuracy of school data.
Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said the review of audit records showed that many institutions were not following the rules, especially in how they handled fees, uniform purchases and the reporting of learners.
Schools listed include 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 release of the audit follows remarks by Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro, who said school heads had alerted him to a circular suggesting a reduction in capitation for day secondary schools from Sh22,000 per learner to Sh12,000 annually.
“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 audit shows that Loreto Kiambu Girls’ High charged project fees amounting to Sh1,296,741 per student without the approval of the Education Cabinet Secretary.
This goes against Government Circular No. MOE.HQS/3/13/3 dated 16 June 2021, which limits what parents can be asked to pay. “In the circumstances, Management was in breach of law,” the report states.
At Starehe Boys Centre, auditors found that parents were asked to pay between Sh140,000 and Sh300,000 based on their ability, although Category A boarding schools are required to charge Sh67,244 unless the Cabinet Secretary gives written approval.
Fully paying and partially sponsored learners were billed a total of Sh89,820,000, creating a fee gap of Sh2,784,558.
“In the circumstances, the accuracy and completeness of receiving charitable support of Sh92,604,558 could not be confirmed,” the report notes.
The audit further reveals that Starehe Boys Centre bought uniforms, shoes and bedding worth Sh8,384,341 from a single supplier, contrary to Regulation 67(3) of the Basic Education Act, 2015, which bars schools from directing procurement or forcing parents to buy uniforms from a specific outlet.
At Thika High School, auditors flagged a difference of 316 learners between NEMIS data and records from the County Director of Education for the 2023/2024 year.
The error resulted in an underfunding of Sh2,601,950 and went against Ministry of Education rules that require all learners to be correctly registered on NEMIS.
The findings expose wide-ranging gaps in school management, raising questions about how institutions handle public funds and comply with Ministry of Education instructions.
