The Ministry of Education (MoE) has recommended disciplinary and legal action against 34 school heads accused of manipulating or failing to submit student enrolment data, raising concerns over the integrity of the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
Speaking during the release of the School Data Verification Report on Thursday, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said 14 headteachers failed to provide critical records while 20 others inflated enrolment figures. The Ministry has forwarded their names to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) for disciplinary measures.
Ogamba stressed that accountability in data management is central to safeguarding public funds and ensuring equitable distribution of resources. “Heads of institutions are personally responsible for the accuracy and integrity of school data. Non‑compliance will not be tolerated,” he said, adding that adherence to reporting requirements is a legal, ethical, and financial obligation.
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Beyond the headteachers, the Ministry also recommended disciplinary action against 28 Sub‑County Directors of Education and Quality Assurance officers in areas where supervisory failures were detected. Ogamba noted that some officers neglected to flag non‑operational schools within their jurisdictions, allowing discrepancies to persist. He confirmed that both sets of cases will be referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for further examination.
The verification exercise, which began in September 2025, exposed systemic lapses at the sub‑county level and identified schools that were no longer operational but remained listed in official records. The findings prompted immediate interventions aimed at tightening oversight and restoring credibility in education data.
As part of the measures, Ogamba announced that all learners whose details remain unverified will be barred from accessing government resources until their records are confirmed. Funding for affected learners will only resume once verification is complete. He added that non‑operational schools identified during the audit will undergo formal closure or deregistration in line with existing laws and regulations.
MoE said the crackdown is intended to protect public resources and reinforce discipline in the education sector. Ogamba emphasized that accurate data is essential for planning, resource allocation, and maintaining public trust. “This exercise is about accountability and ensuring that public resources serve real learners in functioning schools,” he said.
By Masaki Enock
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