A nationwide audit has uncovered 27 public schools that remain listed as operational in the government’s education database despite having shut down.
In a press release dated 12th January 2026, signed by Julius Ogamba, the MoE confirmed that 10 secondary schools and 17 primary schools were no longer functioning due to insecurity, relocation of communities, lack of learners, or administrative closure, yet they continued to appear as active in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
“The status had not been reported to the Ministry and continued to appear in NEMIS,” the report noted.
The discrepancies were flagged during a verification exercise covering all 47 counties and every public primary, junior, secondary, and special needs institution.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the audit was intended to reconcile enrolment figures and institutional records in NEMIS with independently validated data from school heads and Sub‑County Directors of Education.
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The findings revealed significant gaps that could distort government capitation, which is allocated based on enrolment numbers. Primary school enrolment dropped from 5,833,175 learners recorded in NEMIS to a verified 4,947,271, a reduction of 885,904 learners. Secondary school enrolment fell from 3,352,884 to 3,265,154, a variance of 87,730. Junior school enrolment, however, rose sharply from 2,430,398 to 2,973,648, an increase of 543,250, pointing to under‑reporting or delayed updates during the transition to the competency‑based curriculum.
The audit also exposed unauthenticated learner records, including missing or invalid Unique Personal Identifiers, duplicated assessment numbers, and mismatched examination centre codes. In addition, 102 junior schools and 84 primary schools were found to be operating below the minimum enrolment threshold, raising questions about sustainability and efficient use of resources. Weak oversight at the sub‑county level was cited as a major contributor, with some discrepancies neither reported nor corrected in time.
Ogamba stressed that heads of institutions are accountable for the accuracy of data. “Any deliberate falsification, inflation or misrepresentation of enrolment data constitutes gross misconduct and a breach of public trust,” he said. The ministry has forwarded the report to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for disciplinary action against 14 school heads who failed to submit data and 20 who submitted inflated figures. Administrative measures are also being taken against 28 Sub‑County Directors of Education and Quality Assurance officers in areas with systemic failures. Cases with potential criminal elements have been referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
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In a move expected to affect funding, the ministry has suspended capitation for all unverified learners. Funding will only be restored once records are authenticated, while non‑operational schools identified in the audit will be formally closed or deregistered in line with existing laws.
Ogamba said verification will now be conducted every school term to safeguard public resources and ensure equitable distribution. He acknowledged challenges during the exercise, including poor internet connectivity in remote areas, incomplete submissions, and capacity gaps where schools lacked trained personnel to manage data. Verification of early grade learners was also hindered by the absence of birth certificates.
To address these weaknesses, the ministry plans to strengthen training for school heads and education officers on data management, accountability, and information security. It will also accelerate the transition from NEMIS to the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS), which will introduce stronger validation controls, real‑time reporting, and improved interoperability.
“This exercise is about accountability and ensuring that public resources serve real learners in functioning schools,” Ogamba said.
By Masaki Enock
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