Pressure is increasing on President William Ruto’s administration due to new allegations of extensive financial misconduct within the education sector. Rights activists are now calling for thorough investigations, accountability, and comprehensive reforms in response to claims of ghost schools and ghost learners receiving public education funds.
A civil society group, led by education activist Davies Okombo, has formally requested that President Ruto and Members of Parliament (MPs) urgently tackle what it identifies as systemic failures within the Ministry of Education (MoE). These failures have reportedly resulted in billions of shillings being lost, funds that were intended for learners.
This petition arrives at a critical juncture, as Kenya’s education system grapples with a worsening funding crisis. Schools nationwide face challenges such as delayed capitation, mounting debts, and operational constraints that disrupt learning in public institutions.
During a press briefing on May 8, 2026, Okombo accused senior education officials of overseeing a flawed accountability system that has facilitated the misappropriation of public funds through fictitious institutions and non-existent learners. “Ghost learners do not sign forms, and ghost schools do not operate bank accounts. This highlights a systematic failure within the Ministry of Education and schools, leading to the theft of public funds designated for Kenyan children,” he stated.
Okombo further demanded the immediate resignation of Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, asserting that the ministry has failed to protect resources allocated to vulnerable learners. “We urge the CS for Education to resign immediately, as he has failed the Kenyan child. He should not remain at Jogoo House while millions and billions of public funds are being misappropriated by his senior officials,” he emphasized.
These accusations have intensified scrutiny over the management of education funds, amid rising concerns that chronic underfunding in schools may be linked to corruption, inflated enrollment figures, and weak oversight systems within the ministry.
In recent months, school leaders and education stakeholders have repeatedly warned that delays and inadequacies in capitation disbursements are crippling operations in both primary and secondary schools. Some institutions struggle to pay suppliers, sustain feeding programs, and maintain essential learning activities.
The ghost schools controversy threatens to escalate public outrage regarding the management of educational resources, especially as parents contend with rising living costs and schools continue to seek additional funding.
Okombo has also called on investigative bodies, including the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), to undertake comprehensive investigations into the alleged misappropriation of public education funds. “We urge the EACC and the DCI to initiate investigations and prosecute those responsible for this theft so that we can recover assets. Every shilling stolen from a Kenyan child should be returned to the public,” he appealed.
These demands underscore the mounting pressure on anti-corruption institutions to combat corruption within the education sector, which consumes a significant portion of Kenya’s national budget annually. Okombo argues that discrepancies in learner data and school registration systems have long exposed the sector to manipulation, particularly regarding the distribution of capitation funds tied to student enrollment numbers.
Concerns have also emerged about weak auditing mechanisms and fragmented bursary programs managed by various government entities. Beyond investigations, the rights group is advocating for structural reforms aimed at streamlining education financing and enhancing transparency in the allocation of bursaries and capitation funds.
Okombo urged President Ruto and Parliament to initiate legal reforms that would consolidate various education support schemes into a single national education fund. “I call upon His Excellency the President and the National Assembly to commence legal reforms immediately to consolidate fragmented education funds into one national education fund,” he stated.
He pointed to multiple funding streams, including presidential bursaries, Constituency Development Fund (CDF) allocations, and county government education support programs, as examples of fragmented systems that could be merged to enhance accountability and efficiency.
According to the activist, consolidating education financing could enable Kenya to fully implement free secondary education and uphold constitutional guarantees of access to education. “This will ensure that Kenya is prepared to implement free secondary education, thereby fulfilling Article 53 of the Constitution, which guarantees free and compulsory basic education for every child,” he added.
These latest demands place renewed political pressure on the Kenya Kwanza administration, which has repeatedly promised to reform the education sector and enhance governance within public institutions. Recent disclosures indicate that funding for 379,858 university and TVET students remains uncertain due to a Ksh32.9 billion deficit for the current academic year.
The State Department for Higher Education revealed that only Ksh41.5 billion was allocated against a requirement of Ksh74.4 billion to support over 1.1 million students. Higher Education Principal Secretary Beatrice Inyangala informed lawmakers that the available funds can only support 650,267 students, leaving nearly half a million eligible applicants without assistance. “The proposed supplementary budget allocation of Ksh4.1 billion will assist 74,031 students at an average of Ksh55,639 per student, which will leave 379,858 students unfunded,” she explained.
