Hanoi:The National Assembly Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education has criticized the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) for the uneven distribution of textbooks in public schools, following an audit tour of senior schools in the Coastal region.
According to Kenya News Agency, the committee, led by Chairperson and Luanda MP Dick Maungu, found that many schools are storing thousands of unused textbooks, while lower-category schools face significant shortages. In the Coast region, schools like Shimo La Tewa have received over 1,000 extra books, whereas others had more than 600 unnecessary copies.
The committee raised concerns about the discrimination against lower-category C3 and C4 schools, which continue to lack sufficient teaching materials, while C1 national schools receive excess quantities. Maungu stated that the parliamentary team intends to summon KICD management to explain the criteria used for textbook allocation.
Additionally, Maungu highlighted the illegal diversion of public funds to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association (KESSHA), pointing out that head teachers are transferring public money despite KESSHA’s refusal to undergo audits by the Auditor-General. KESSHA leadership is expected to be summoned by the end of the week.
The audit also exposed an irregular directive from a Coastal County Director of Education, who instructed principals to charge students Sh1,000 each for co-curricular activities without legal authority. The directive included fees of Sh550 for drama and Sh340 for other events.
Furthermore, procurement irregularities were uncovered in the construction of Competency-Based Curriculum classrooms. School principals reported that projects were managed externally, with headteachers only directed to release payments without supervising the work. Discrepancies were noted between actual funds received by school heads and the figures in the National Education Management Information System reports.
Despite these systemic issues, Maungu praised the transparency of most school heads during the audit, noting that the majority were above board. The committee plans to inspect 52 senior schools across Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta counties before calling Ministry of Education officials, KICD, and KESSHA leadership to address the audit findings.
