CS Ogamba Orders Probe Over School Data Scandal

Education CS Julius Ogamba ordered a thorough investigation into school data scandal which was discovered during the last round of national verification. He directed the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) and the DCI to take actions against any teacher and educator involved in the scandal.

The directive comes after a government report was issued on Thursday, February 12, revealing a sharp disconnect in the number of students enrolled in schools throughout the country. The ministry analyzed the figures through the National Education Management Information System and sought verification through direct checks within the schools.

There were 5,833,175 learners listed by NEMIS, while only 4,947,271 learners were verified during a physical count, representing

In pre-secondary institutions, NEMIS had recorded a total of 3,352,884 learners, while the verifications recorded 3,265,154

While in junior secondary schools, NEMIS reported 2,430,398 learners, yet the verification process showed 2,973,648, translating into a difference of 543,250 learners. Such discrepancies pose serious questions about school data integrity, with some believing it might be tampered with.

Other identified irregularities included ghost students and invalid student records. Also identified were learner records not authenticated and students whose Unique Personal Identifiers (UPIs) were missing or invalid, who had duplicate assessment numbers, and whose examination centre details were invalid.

Further concerns over 10 non-operational secondary schools and 17 non-operational primary schools have been raised. Some of these had shut due to insecurity, relocation of communities, declining enrollment, or management reasons, yet the ministry was not made aware.

The exercise also found out that there were 102 junior secondary schools and 84 primary schools operating below the minimum required enrollment.

Sub-county education officials were also criticized for poor supervision as there were several discrepancies which were not reported or promptly corrected.

The report has been sent to the TSC for action to be taken. Fourteen school heads who failed or refused to submit the data for verification will be dealt with, and another 20 who were accused of inflating figures of enrolled students are undergoing investigation.

The administration is weighing action against 28 sub-county directors of education and quality assurance officers from districts identified as having significant supervision gaps. The DCI has the report and will investigate the possibility of data falsification.

In the meantime, learners who have not had their data verified will be suspended from receiving capitation from the government. Similarly, all schools found to be non-operational will undergo formal closure or deregistration.

New Measures Introduced

To prevent a repeat of the school data scandal, the Ministry of Education has announced that data verification will now be carried out every term.

The ministry also plans to speed up the transition from NEMIS to the upgraded Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS).

The latest developments signal stricter monitoring in the education sector as the government moves to clean up school data systems and ensure public funds are properly accounted for.

Read Also: Education Ministry Publishes New Senior School Fees Structure