- MPs have questioned the reliability of enrolment figures used to disburse nearly Sh104 billion in school capitation.
- The Auditor-General found no documentary evidence that relevant sub-county offices had verified the NEMIS figures.
- Basic Education PS John Ololtuaa says KEMIS is expected to strengthen education data management and controls.
Kenya’s education financing system has come under scrutiny after MPs questioned the reliability of learner enrolment data used to determine billions of shillings in government capitation.
The Public Accounts Committee raised concerns over gaps in the verification of learner numbers as it examined the Auditor-General’s report on the 2023/2024 financial year accounts of the State Department for Basic Education.
The committee, chaired by Butere MP Tindi Mwale, was particularly concerned about the basis on which the government released funds for Free Day Secondary Education (FDSE), Junior Secondary Education (JSE) and Free Primary Education (FPE).
According to the Auditor-General, the government disbursed Sh63.95 billion for FDSE, Sh30.99 billion for JSE and Sh9.05 billion for FPE using enrolment figures captured in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
However, the audit found no documentary evidence demonstrating that the learner data had been verified by Sub-County Education Offices before the funds were released.
Gaps in learner data
The Auditor-General also raised concerns about the way NEMIS continuously updates learner records without a clearly defined cut-off date. This makes it difficult to establish the actual number of learners eligible for funding at a specific point in time.
The system has further been faulted for failing to capture learners without birth certificates and excluding learners who have reached the age of 18 from funding considerations.
Appearing before the committee, Basic Education Principal Secretary John Ololtuaa acknowledged challenges within NEMIS, including incomplete coverage, unreliable information and limited integration with other government systems.
He told MPs that the Ministry of Education plans to replace NEMIS with the Kenya Education Management Information System (KEMIS).
NEMIS was introduced in 2017 to digitise learner records and support key education processes, including admissions, capitation allocation and examination registration.
The disclosure prompted MPs to question how the government could accurately determine the amount of money required for capitation in the absence of a fully verified database.
Committee chair Tindi Mwale questioned whether public funds could be released based on learner records whose accuracy had not been conclusively established.
The PS, however, maintained that the weaknesses identified in NEMIS had not provided evidence of irregular capitation payments.
MPs demand migration documents
He said the migration to KEMIS would strengthen data management, improve controls and provide more reliable information for education planning and financing.
The committee also demanded documentation explaining the basis for the decision to migrate from NEMIS to KEMIS.
MPs cautioned the Ministry against incurring unnecessary expenditure during the transition and called for transparency and accountability in the migration process.
Ololtuaa committed to submit the requested documents to the committee within two weeks.
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The scrutiny comes as the government increasingly relies on digital learner records to plan education programmes and allocate resources, putting the accuracy of national education data at the centre of public expenditure oversight.
By Jeff Kirui
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