NAIROBI, Kenya- Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has revealed that more than 885,000 ‘ghost learners’ were listed in Kenyan primary schools, draining billions of shillings from public education funds and exposing deep systemic weaknesses in how learner data is managed nationally.
The figures form part of the results of a nationwide School Data Verification exercise aimed at reconciling official records with physical verification.
According to the Ministry of Education’s report, enrolment figures recorded in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) showed 5,833,175 primary school learners, but on‑the‑ground verification found only 4,947,271 actual students, a shortfall of 885,904 learners.
Similar discrepancies were found at the secondary level, with a difference of 87,730 learners. Combined with variances in junior secondary data, the audit uncovered a total of nearly 973,634 ghost learners across public schools in Kenya’s basic education sector.
The discrepancies mean that Kenya may have been allocating capitation funds, government money disbursed per learner to support school operations, to students who do not exist in reality.
In the third term of 2025 alone, the government lost an estimated Sh912 million as a result of manipulated data and misreported learner numbers, Ogamba disclosed during a parliamentary committee session on Thursday.
“The audit has revealed significant variances between the figures in NEMIS and actual verified enrolment,” the CS said.
“It is imperative that we address these gaps urgently to ensure integrity in our education funding and protect public resources.”
Ghost Learners Draining Billions:Education CS Ogamba has revealed that over 885,000 ghost learners were listed in primary schools alone, illegally draining billions of shillings from public funds.Ogamba further revealed that Sh912 million was lost in the third term of 2025.
The verification exercise, conducted across all 47 counties, also identified 27 non‑operational schools that remained listed in government records despite having no active learners or functioning classrooms.
These institutions are now set to be deregistered or formally closed.
In response to the findings, the Ministry has started withholding capitation funds for all unverified learners and schools pending full authentication of records.
Funding will only resume once enrolment data is confirmed through robust verification.
The Ministry has also referred cases of significant discrepancies and potential misconduct to relevant authorities for action.
Statement by the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education on the Release of the School Data Verification Report.
This includes forwarding details to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for disciplinary action against implicated school heads and education officials, as well as to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where criminal negligence is suspected.
Educators and stakeholders welcomed the audit as a necessary albeit disruptive step toward accountability.
However, some school leaders have expressed concern that the capitation freeze, now in place as part of verification efforts, has strained school finances, affecting essential services such as procurement of learning materials and feeding programmes.
The verification process faced logistical challenges, including poor internet connectivity in remote areas, incomplete or inconsistent data submissions, and the absence of key supporting documents such as birth certificates for young learners.
To prevent future manipulation of education data and safeguard government funds, the Ministry plans to accelerate the rollout of the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), a more secure, real‑time learner registry intended to replace the current NEMIS platform.
Officials say KEMIS will improve data accuracy and reduce opportunities for falsification.
CS Ogamba emphasised that accountability is central to the reforms.
“Public resources must serve real children in real schools,” he said, adding that regular termly verification exercises will now be institutionalised.
The audit’s revelations have intensified calls for transparency and stronger governance in the education sector as Kenyan taxpayers demand clearer accountability for billions of shillings in public funds.
