A sweeping audit of primary school records has exposed glaring weaknesses in data management, leaving thousands of learners vulnerable to missing out on government support this term. The exercise, which scrutinized submissions from schools across all 47 counties, flagged 3,485 institutions for errors ranging from faulty formats to missing information.
The findings reveal that 2,652 schools submitted records in the wrong format, while another 735 filed incomplete data with missing enrolment details or school codes. An additional 75 schools sent duplicate entries, and 97 had either failed to attach documents or skipped submissions altogether.
These lapses are not isolated but widespread, with counties such as Baringo, Bungoma, Kakamega, Busia, Bomet, and Homa Bay recording the highest number of flagged schools. The audit shows that the compliance burden is heaviest on institutions in rural and marginalized areas, where poor internet access makes digital reporting challenging.
Education experts warn that the errors could disrupt the government’s school capitation programme, which directly supports pupils’ learning. With Sh23 billion earmarked for schools this term, only Sh13 billion has been released, tied to verified submissions. Prof. Julius Bitok, Principal Secretary for Basic Education, confirmed that 20,000 schools have been cleared, but internet outages and technical hitches have slowed verification.
The Kenya Teachers Health and Welfare Association has urged the ministry to allow manual submissions from schools in arid and semi-arid regions to ensure no learner is left behind.
Meanwhile, MPs are demanding stricter oversight to prevent ghost schools from accessing funds. Education Committee Chair Julius Melly emphasized that fraudulent claims by non-existent institutions and inflated enrolments drain billions that should benefit genuine learners.
President William Ruto has also waded into the debate, pointing to the mismatch between Kenya’s fiscal year and the academic calendar as a key reason for delays in the 50-30-20 capitation model. He has directed the Treasury and Education ministries to streamline the system, noting that inefficiencies must not punish children.
The audit has sparked fresh debate on the need to overhaul Kenya’s education data systems. With thousands of learners caught in limbo, stakeholders argue that without accurate, reliable data, the country risks undermining both accountability and equitable funding in schools.
