Government Releases Capitation to 38,000 Schools as Verification Nears Completion
The Ministry of Education has released capitation to 38,000 verified schools, with the remaining verification to be completed in 10 days.
Cabinet Secretary for Education, Julius Ogamba, announced this on Sunday, saying the government wants to ensure funds reach legitimate schools and students as national exams approach.
Speaking at Kasarani Indoor Arena during World Teachers’ Day 2025 celebrations, Ogamba said the ongoing verification is to determine the exact number of schools and learners in the country. “We are only releasing capitation to schools whose learners have been verified,” he said.
Ogamba said the results of the verification, expected in 10 days, will guide the ministry’s decisions based on evidence and data, to prevent gaps in funding. He noted that knowing the exact number of schools and students is key to protecting the education sector from budget cuts, a concern that has previously pitted teachers’ unions against the government.
“If we have the numbers, there can’t be cuts. If we don’t, we leave room for budget slashes and that’s why the verification is important,” Ogamba said.
This comes after Basic Education Principal Secretary Julius Bitok revealed that the ministry had found over 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools. He said the government has been losing over Ksh1.1 billion annually to fund these non-existent learners, totaling Ksh4.4 billion over the students’ secondary education.
Bitok warned that once the verification is complete and ghost schools and students are removed from the system, the total number of learners may drop by 5 to 10% and the number of schools may also decrease. “This will affect results and the resources allocated to schools,” he said.
The ministry wants to ensure transparent, data-driven allocation of funds, accountability and quality education for genuine learners across the country.
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Government Releases Capitation to 38,000 Schools as Verification Nears Completion