50,000 ghost students unearthed in secondary schools as ministry tightens capitation verification

The Ministry of Education has uncovered more than 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools during an ongoing data verification exercise.

This revelation means taxpayers have been losing over Ksh1.1 billion every year through inflated school enrollments, amounting to Ksh4.4 billion across the four years a student spends in secondary school.

Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok confirmed that out of the 32,000 schools targeted, only 17,400 have so far been cleared to receive government capitation funds. He made the disclosure while appearing before the National Assembly’s Education Committee.

“Out of the Ksh23 billion, we have disbursed 60 per cent, which is about Ksh13 billion, and the process is ongoing even as we speak,” Bitok said, noting that further verification will lead to a significant drop in the official number of learners and schools.

The PS warned that once the exercise is complete, student numbers could reduce by between 5 and 10 per cent, while some schools may also be struck off government records. “We are expecting a huge reduction in the number of students… and it’s going to impact the resources we are sending to schools,” he said.

To tighten oversight, the Ministry will launch the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS) in January 2026, a digital platform expected to streamline school and student data management.

The announcement comes just weeks after the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) cautioned that delayed release of capitation funds could push school heads to shut down institutions prematurely.

KUPPET Chairperson Omboko Milemba warned: “In the first term, some schools closed earlier because there was no money in the schools. We are insisting that the government has a responsibility to release the money so that learners can get quality education.”