Former Presidential Economic Adviser Moses Kuria has strongly backed the Ministry of Education’s ongoing reforms aimed at eliminating ghost schools and fake enrolment data from the national system. According to Kuria, Kenya has been losing an estimated Sh12 billion annually through fraudulent claims for non-existent students and institutions.
“The education sector receives close to Sh700 billion annually, with Sh120 billion channelled directly into capitation. Unfortunately, nearly 10 percent of that — about Sh12 billion — is lost to ghost schools and fictitious students. The new policy is a game-changer: no verification, no capitation,” Kuria stated.
The Ministry of Education has launched a nationwide verification exercise requiring schools to authenticate each learner’s details before accessing government funds. Every student must be identified through a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI), supported by birth certificate records, and matched against school registration and certified bank account details.
Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that 32,000 schools — about 98 percent of all public institutions — have already submitted their enrolment data. However, only 3,000 institutions have received their third-term disbursements, pending clearance at the ministry’s headquarters.
Bitok assured institutions that payments would be processed immediately after verification. “We expect all schools to have their funds by the end of next week. This process is about accountability to the Kenyan child and taxpayers,” he said while monitoring the exercise in Machakos.
The Ministry has set September 12, 2025, as the final deadline for schools to comply. Failure to do so could lead to punitive action against principals and county supervisors.
Despite challenges, such as internet connectivity delays among some primary schools, compliance has been stronger in secondary and junior schools. Bitok highlighted Masii Boys High School as a model of early adherence, noting that the school has already received its funds.
This bold reform, he stressed, will restore transparency and ensure that every shilling earmarked for education directly benefits genuine learners, not fraudulent records.
