The Ministry of Education has released capitation funds to more than 38,000 schools across the country, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced on Sunday.
Speaking during World Teachers’ Day celebrations at the Kasarani Indoor Arena, Ogamba said the disbursements follow a rigorous verification exercise aimed at ensuring only legitimate schools and learners benefit.
The ministry expects to complete verification of the remaining institutions within the next 10 days.
“We are undertaking a comprehensive verification exercise to ascertain the actual number of schools and learners at the basic education level across the country,” Ogamba said. “Capitation has already been released to verified schools, and once we finalize the process, future decisions will be guided by evidence and data so that no gaps in funding remain.”
The CS stressed that accurate figures are critical to protecting the education budget from cuts, noting that in the past, inflated numbers have left room for waste and misuse.
His remarks came just days after Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok revealed the shocking discovery of more than 50,000 “ghost students” in secondary schools.
According to the ministry, taxpayers have been losing at least Ksh1.1 billion annually to fund non-existent learners, amounting to Ksh4.4 billion over four years.
Bitok warned that once the verification exercise is complete, the official tally of students could drop by between 5 and 10 percent, while some schools may also be struck off the records. “The results are going to affect the resources we are sending to schools,” he said.
For teachers gathered in Kasarani, the announcement was both a reassurance and a reminder of the financial challenges dogging the education sector, especially in the run-up to national examinations.
Ogamba urged patience, promising that once the exercise is complete, schools and learners will benefit from a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable funding system.
