NAIROBI, Kenya – An audit report has raised serious questions about the Education Ministry’s handling of Sh6.7 billion in construction projects for primary and secondary schools, revealing widespread inefficiencies, poor workmanship, and potential misuse of public funds.
The Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, flagged irregularities in the World Bank-funded Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project, where contracts were awarded for building classrooms, laboratories, and sanitation facilities.
The report, covering 30 counties, highlights stalled projects, substandard work, and insufficient oversight.
The audit questions the expenditure of Sh60.3 million on consultants tasked with supervising the projects.
Field visits to counties such as Laikipia, Baringo, and Homa Bay found no evidence of supervision at project sites, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the consultancy fees.
“Full value for money may not have been realized from the Sh6.7 billion expenditure,” Gathungu reported, citing issues like cracked floors, peeling plaster, and incomplete laboratories in schools such as God Bura and Tonga Boys in Homa Bay County.
Despite complaints from school administrations, contractors had not addressed these defects.
Out of the projects reviewed, 267 in Tana River, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties—worth Sh344 million—had stalled.
At least 23% of the projects were incomplete, with no explanation for the delays or penalties imposed on contractors for breaching contracts.
“Performance bonds have expired, exposing the project to potential financial losses,” Gathungu noted.
As of June 30, 2024, work on 30 classrooms, 40 laboratories, and 471 sanitation blocks valued at Sh573 million had not commenced, with no official explanations for the delays.
The audit also uncovered the use of substandard furniture, including desks and chairs with splinters, which some schools outrightly rejected.
At Marigat Integrated Day Secondary School, auditors found an incomplete laboratory with cracked floors and walls, despite electrical wiring and water piping being installed.
The management faces criticism for excluding schools from payment approval processes.
Instead, a three-member technical committee—lacking representation from the schools and procurement teams—approved payments based on consultants’ recommendations.
The absence of meeting minutes, field inspection reports, and risk assessments further highlighted governance lapses.
“Regulation 139(3) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020, was violated as payments were made without proper documentation,” Gathungu reported.
The revelations come at a critical time as the government faces pressure to prepare for Grade 9 learners transitioning to junior secondary schools.
While the Kenya Primary School Heads Association chairman, Johnson Nzioka, indicated that 85% of schools are ready, concerns persist about the remaining 15%.
“Internal arrangements are in place for schools still finalizing construction,” Nzioka said, expressing optimism about the distribution of textbooks.
The Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, flagged irregularities in the World Bank-funded Secondary Education Quality Improvement Project, where contracts were awarded for building classrooms, laboratories, and sanitation facilities.
The report, covering 30 counties, highlights stalled projects, substandard work, and insufficient oversight.
The audit questions the expenditure of Sh60.3 million on consultants tasked with supervising the projects.
Field visits to counties such as Laikipia, Baringo, and Homa Bay found no evidence of supervision at project sites, raising concerns about the legitimacy of the consultancy fees.
“Full value for money may not have been realized from the Sh6.7 billion expenditure,” Gathungu reported, citing issues like cracked floors, peeling plaster, and incomplete laboratories in schools such as God Bura and Tonga Boys in Homa Bay County.
Despite complaints from school administrations, contractors had not addressed these defects.
Out of the projects reviewed, 267 in Tana River, Kwale, and Taita Taveta counties—worth Sh344 million—had stalled.
At least 23% of the projects were incomplete, with no explanation for the delays or penalties imposed on contractors for breaching contracts.
“Performance bonds have expired, exposing the project to potential financial losses,” Gathungu noted.
As of June 30, 2024, work on 30 classrooms, 40 laboratories, and 471 sanitation blocks valued at Sh573 million had not commenced, with no official explanations for the delays.
The audit also uncovered the use of substandard furniture, including desks and chairs with splinters, which some schools outrightly rejected.
At Marigat Integrated Day Secondary School, auditors found an incomplete laboratory with cracked floors and walls, despite electrical wiring and water piping being installed.
The management faces criticism for excluding schools from payment approval processes.
Instead, a three-member technical committee—lacking representation from the schools and procurement teams—approved payments based on consultants’ recommendations.
The absence of meeting minutes, field inspection reports, and risk assessments further highlighted governance lapses.
“Regulation 139(3) of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Regulations, 2020, was violated as payments were made without proper documentation,” Gathungu reported.
The revelations come at a critical time as the government faces pressure to prepare for Grade 9 learners transitioning to junior secondary schools.
While the Kenya Primary School Heads Association chairman, Johnson Nzioka, indicated that 85% of schools are ready, concerns persist about the remaining 15%.
“Internal arrangements are in place for schools still finalizing construction,” Nzioka said, expressing optimism about the distribution of textbooks.
