Nairobi: The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education (PIC-G and E) has for the first time started auditing secondary schools, flagging illegal bank borrowing, billions paid to the Kenya Secondary Schools Heads Association (KESSHA), and millions in uncollected fees dating back to 2010.
According to Kenya News Agency, the committee, chaired by Luanda MP, Dick Oyugi Maungu, has been in the Western Region since Monday conducting physical inspections of schools. It is currently holding its sitting in Kisumu County to examine Auditor-General’s reports on schools for five financial years, from 2020/21 to 2024/25.
Several leading secondary schools in the region, such as Ng’iya Girls, Maseno, Maranda, Nyabururu Girls, Kisii High, Asumbi Girls, Homabay High School, Kanga, Bunyore Girls, Kisumu Girls, and Chavakali Boys, had their principals and senior principals summoned to appear before the committee to address various anomalies cited in the Auditor General’s report.
The scrutiny focused on financial management and accountability, including budget implementation, expenditure, procurement, record-keeping, and compliance with public finance requirements, as part of Parliament’s oversight mandate.
The committee highlighted Ng’iya Girls as a unique case where the board borrowed about Sh.50 million in 2015 towards the construction of an administration block costing about Sh150 million without approvals from the Ministry of Education and the National Treasury. While the current principal indicated the loan has been cleared, Maungu emphasized that no principal should take a facility for a public school without the necessary approvals.
Regarding KESSHA, Maungu noted that one school had paid about Sh6 million to the association over the review period, while another had remitted approximately Sh5 million. This, when extrapolated to all schools in the country, could amount to billions. Maungu questioned how a non-government entity like KESSHA could receive public funds without being subjected to the same scrutiny as public institutions.
The committee also raised concerns about the excess supply of textbooks, with one school receiving 436 extra books, while regions like Turkana, Mandera, and Luanda lack books. The committee plans to summon the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to explain such anomalies.
Additionally, the committee noted millions in fee arrears dating back to 2010 that schools cannot recover due to a directive barring the withholding of certificates. These amounts should now be treated as bad debts through a waiver from the Treasury. Schools were also found to be procuring without qualified officers, contrary to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act.
Maungu stated that some school managers are struggling to transition from the old school audit system to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) accrual accounting, highlighting the need for empowerment and training of bursars. IPSAS are a set of global accounting rules designed for public sector entities to prepare financial statements.
Other committee members present included Vice-Chairperson, Kasipul MP Boyd Ong’ondo Were, and MPs Karitho Kiili, Mwenje Mark, Eng. Thuddeus Kithua, Maurice Kakai, Chiforomodo Mangale, Alfah Ondieki, Francis Kipyegon, Narok Woman MP Rebecca Noonaishi Tonkei, and Central Imenti MP Moses Kirima.
