Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ogamba has revealed that the government is considering merging schools with low student numbers to curb misuse of public funds and ensure efficient allocation of resources.
Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, Ogamba noted a worrying trend where some schools with as few as ten students still receive heavy capitation, raising concerns about ghost schools and pilferage.
“We are doing something about the number of ghost schools in the country. Some schools have fewer than ten students. We are going to interrogate whether some of the schools will be merged or separated,” Ogamba stated.
Audit and Verification
The CS confirmed that the Ministry of Education has intensified its audit of school enrolments. So far, 75 per cent of the verification process has been completed, with the remaining 25 per cent expected to conclude within the month.
He emphasized that resources will now only be disbursed to schools whose enrolment numbers have been verified. “After the Auditor General flagged the issue, the Ministry resolved that in this third term, resources would only be released to schools with verified student numbers,” Ogamba said.
JSS and Infrastructure
Ogamba also addressed confusion surrounding Junior Secondary Schools (JSS). He said that, following the Presidential Working Party recommendations, the government plans to create comprehensive schools that will bring together primary and junior secondary institutions under one administration.
To support growing enrolments driven by the 100 per cent transition policy, the government has allocated Ksh1.3 billion for infrastructure development. The ministry will also push for more targeted budgetary allocations to supplement Constituency Development Fund (CDF) support for schools.
Likely Debate Ahead
While the plan aims to streamline resource use, the proposal to merge schools could spark mixed reactions from parents, teachers, and communities, especially in regions where learners already face long distances to access education.
