In the ongoing crackdown against “ghost learners,” education authorities have tightened digital registration systems with the aim of restoring integrity, accuracy, and accountability.
However, what was envisioned as a necessary clean-up exercise is now stirring quiet resistance and deep frustration at the very core of school leadership.
Principals, speaking on condition of anonymity, have come out strongly to castigate the process—describing it as impractical, time-consuming, and increasingly detached from realities on the ground.
While they fully support the elimination of ghost learners, they argue that the current system is punishing genuine learners, overburdening teachers, and slowing down a process that should be simple, efficient, and inclusive.
At the center of their concerns is the heavy reliance on repeated one-time pins (OTPs) as the primary verification tool. Even though OTPs are meant to enhance security, ensuring that only authorized individuals can access and manipulate sensitive data, this layer of security has become a major bottleneck.” They said
They decry over endless cycles of login attempts, delayed or undelivered OTPs, and sessions that expire before any meaningful progress can be made.
“It is now easier to gather all the learner details than to successfully log into the system,” one principal lamented. “You request an OTP, it delays. When it finally comes, it has expired. You request another one, and the system flags you for too many attempts. It feels like the system is working against us.”
Another principal echoed similar frustration, pointing out the toll it is taking on school productivity. “We are spending hours trying to access the system. That is time taken away from instructional leadership, supervision, and learner support. Instead of focusing on education, we are stuck chasing login codes.”
ALSO READ:
TUK staff pension fund faces Ksh6.2B shortfall as senators warn of ex-employees missing funds
These frustrations are amplified in areas where network connectivity is unreliable. Many schools, particularly in rural and marginalized regions, operate under conditions where internet access is intermittent and mobile network signals fluctuate throughout the day. In such environments, the expectation that OTPs will be delivered instantly and used within a short validity window is simply unrealistic.
Principals recount instances where entire registration sessions had to be abandoned due to persistent network failures. A process that begins with optimism quickly turns into a cycle of retries, delays, and eventual resignation. Some have resorted to working late into the night or early in the morning, hoping for better network conditions—an unsustainable workaround that highlights the depth of the problem.
The school heads added that parents, too, have become unintended victims of this system, saying that where their participation is required for verification, the process becomes even more fragile.
“A parent may be in a remote area, out of network coverage, or engaged in work that does not allow immediate response. By the time they receive the OTP, it may already be invalid. The process then resets, forcing both the school and the parent to begin again.” One principal said.
They added that this repeated cycle not only wastes time but also strains relationships between schools and families. “Parents begin to perceive the process as unnecessarily complicated, while teachers struggle to explain a system they themselves find difficult to navigate.”
Despite the mounting frustration, principals are not opposed to accountability. On the contrary, many acknowledge the serious implications of ghost learners—inflated enrollment figures that distort funding allocations, compromise planning, and undermine the credibility of education data.
They understand the need for verification and support efforts to ensure that every learner recorded in the system is real. However, they insist that the current approach is too rigid and fails to strike a balance between security and usability.
ALSO READ:
“We are not against cleaning the system,” one principal emphasized. “But the method being used is punishing the wrong people. It is making it harder for genuine learners to be registered while trying to eliminate non-existent ones.”
They are now calling upon the Ministry of Education to reduce the frequency of OTP requests, saying that requiring verification at every stage of the registration process is excessive and counterproductive.
Principals propose limiting OTP use to critical checkpoints, thereby maintaining security without overwhelming users.
They are also advocating for alternative verification methods. School-based authentication, where principals or designated administrators can validate entries, is seen as a viable and efficient option. Such an approach leverages existing accountability structures within schools and reduces dependence on network-reliant systems.
Another major concern is the lack of system flexibility. Currently, any interruption—whether due to network failure, power outage, or session timeout—often forces users to restart the entire process. This is both inefficient and demoralizing. Principals are calling for systems that allow users to save progress and resume later, ensuring that work already done is not lost.
The issue of OTP expiry time has also been highlighted. Many argue that the current validity window is too short to accommodate real-world delays. Extending this timeframe would significantly reduce failed attempts and improve overall efficiency.
Equally important is the need to design systems that can function in low-bandwidth environments. Heavy, data-intensive platforms are ill-suited for many schools. Lightweight systems, capable of operating with minimal connectivity and offering offline capabilities, would go a long way in easing the burden on users.
Beyond the technical aspects, there is a deeper concern about the lack of consultation in system design. Principals feel that their insights and experiences are not being adequately considered.
“These systems are developed far from the classroom,” one principal observed. “If the people designing them spent just one day in a school trying to register learners under real conditions, they would understand the problem immediately.”
By Hillary Muhalya
You can also follow our social media pages on Twitter: Education News KE and Facebook: Education News Newspaper for timely updates.
>>> Click here to stay up-to-date with trending regional stories
>>> Click here to read more informed opinions on the country’s education landscape
