Ministry of Education has uncovered more than 50,000 “ghost students” in secondary schools, exposing a deep flaw in the country’s enrolment system and raising questions about the use of public money.
The revelation came during testimony before the National Assembly’s Education Committee, where Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok disclosed that the irregularities were discovered in the course of an ongoing verification exercise.
“So far, more than 50,000 students were found to be ghost students, and this is at only 50 percent verification,” Mr Bitok told lawmakers on Tuesday. He warned that the figure could rise significantly as checks continue in the remaining schools.
The government allocates funding to schools based on student numbers, making enrolment data a critical factor in disbursement. Inflated figures, critics say, open the door to misuse of resources and weaken efforts to improve education standards.
Mr Bitok said the ministry draws its data from the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), school administrators, and sub-county directors. But the latest review revealed glaring discrepancies.
“For secondary schools, it’s obvious that numbers are higher than what was expected,” he admitted.
While the problem appears most widespread in secondary schools, Mr Bitok said officials are also reviewing figures from primary and junior secondary levels. “Preliminary data suggests the issue is less severe there, but we cannot rule anything out,” he added.
The committee pressed the ministry on accountability and the fate of officials implicated in the scheme. Mr Bitok urged Parliament and other education stakeholders to guide the response.
“We want the committee and the other education stakeholders to help us decide what to do with this data,” he said.
He also hinted at the possibility of further irregularities. “I cannot confirm or deny that there could be ghost schools,” he noted, saying that preliminary checks had already trimmed some anomalies. “In a week, we will have clear information on whether there are non-existent schools.”
Education analysts say the findings underscore long-standing weaknesses in data management. They warn that failure to enforce accountability could embolden corruption and undermine reforms aimed at expanding access to quality education.
For now, the ministry has promised to complete the verification in the coming weeks. Parents and taxpayers, already struggling with the rising cost of education, are waiting to see whether the revelations lead to systemic reform — or fade into another cycle of unaddressed scandal.
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