Students, parents, and teachers across the country can now breathe a sigh of relief after the government announced the release of capitation funds to 38,000 verified schools. Education Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ogamba confirmed that the Ministry of Education will complete the verification of the remaining schools and learners within the next 10 days to ensure fair and accurate disbursement of funds.
Speaking on Sunday, October 5, during the World Teachers’ Day celebrations at Kasarani Indoor Arena, Ogamba emphasized that the verification exercise is crucial to ensure transparency and accountability in government funding. He noted that only schools with verified learners have received capitation so far.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive verification exercise to ascertain the actual number of schools and learners at the basic education level across the country. Consequently, we are only releasing capitation to schools whose learners have already been verified,” Ogamba stated.
The CS added that the ministry expects a detailed report within the next 10 days, which will guide future funding decisions based on data and evidence. He further explained that knowing the exact number of schools and students will help prevent budget cuts that have in the past angered teachers’ unions.
“If we have the exact number of schools and students, then it means there can never be a deduction. But if we do not know the number, we give room for budget slashing to happen,” Ogamba said.
His announcement follows revelations by Basic Education PS Julius Bitok that over 50,000 ghost students had been uncovered in secondary schools during the verification process. The ghost learners are estimated to have cost taxpayers over Ksh4.4 billion in capitation over the past four years.
The ministry expects a 5–10% reduction in the number of schools and students once verification is complete, a move aimed at ensuring resources are only directed to genuine institutions and learners.
