A special audit by the Office of the Auditor General has uncovered significant irregularities in the procurement and distribution of textbooks under the Ministry of Education (MoE), revealing a potential loss of over Sh540 million.
The audit, led by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, focused on activities between the financial years 2020/21 and 2023/24 and scrutinized funds managed by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) on behalf of the State Department for Basic Education.
According to the findings, MoE disbursed Ksh27.9 billion to KICD for textbook purchases, but KICD’s financial records indicated receipt of Ksh28.2 billion, leaving an unexplained variance of Sh378 million. The report flagged this inconsistency as a possible indicator of misreporting or fund diversion.
The audit also found that books worth Ksh295.6 million were never delivered to targeted schools, even though payment had already been made. This shortfall affected 415 secondary schools, 194 junior secondary schools and 245 primary institutions. Additionally, books valued at Ksh90.8 million were delivered in excess to some schools. These cases of over supply were recorded in 394 secondary, 94 junior secondary and 182 primary schools.
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Further analysis revealed that textbooks valued at Ksh30.3 million were distributed to schools that did not offer the corresponding subjects. This anomaly involved 118 secondary schools, 225 junior secondary schools and 26 primary schools.
In a separate finding, books worth ksh41.4 million were never delivered to schools listed as recipients, the discrepancy affecting 183 secondary schools, 233 junior schools and 253 primary schools.
Apart from quantity and delivery issues, the report raised concern about delayed distribution. Some schools received books three to thirty seven months after the expected delivery time, affecting 26 secondary, 29 junior and 21 primary schools. The audit also noted that at least 110 schools lacked proper inventory records, violating public resource management standards.
The audit criticized MoE for failing to disclose the criteria used to determine textbook allocation per learner and found that KICD had not included textbook procurement in its annual procurement plans. These gaps undermined transparency, planning and effective oversight of the procurement process.
In total, the audit estimated that textbooks worth over Ksh540 million were either undelivered, excessive, wrongly supplied, or not accounted for, casting doubt on the effectiveness of systems meant to ensure learners receive essential learning materials.
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Nancy Gathungu submitted the report to the Public Accounts Committee for further review and action. Meanwhile, education stakeholders and public figures have called for tighter controls and possible legal reforms, including giving the Auditor-General prosecutorial powers to enforce accountability in future.
This scandal not only raises questions about financial governance in the Ministry of Education but also highlights the risk of learners missing out on essential learning materials due to systemic weaknesses. The audit findings have renewed calls for stronger oversight mechanisms to protect public funds and safeguard the future of basic education in Kenya.
By Benedict Aoya
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