Ministry of Education Under Fire: Ksh 50 Million Sent to Non‑existent Bomet High School via Tenwek Boys’ High

What the Audit Revealed

Recent Auditor‑General Nancy Gathungu’s financial audit for the 2024/25 fiscal year reveals a troubling case of Ksh 50 million routed through Tenwek Boys’ High School to a recipient identified only as “Bomet High School”, which isn’t on any official registry—effectively non‑existent  .

The funds were intended for development support, but the audit flagged that no such school is registered in the national education system, raising serious concerns about potential misappropriation  .

 Parliamentary Fallout

Lawmakers have summoned Ministry of Education officials, demanding clarity on:

• How and why a nonexistent institution received state funds.

• The decision-making process that enabled this transfer through Tenwek Boys’, a legitimate school.

• Whether internal Ministry and Treasury protocols were violated or bypassed.

 Bigger Problem of Financial Controls

This incident is symptomatic of broader governance failures within the education sector. Auditor‑General Gathungu’s report highlights widespread issues across secondary schools—such as:

• Unauthorized fee hikes

• Irregular procurement and inflated expenses

• Unhandled petty cash and ghost payments

These lapses have affected reputable schools like Kamusinga, Maranda, Nyamira Girls’, and others—some with missing funds running into tens of millions of shillings  .

 Why This Matters

1. Erosion of Public Trust

   When taxpayers’ money gets diverted to phantom institutions, confidence in public education and state stewardship erodes.

2. Lost Opportunity for Real Schools

   Legitimate needy schools miss out on development funding or capitation meant to support students.

3. Systemic Weaknesses

   The fact that unregistered entities can receive large disbursements points to major breakdowns in verification, oversight, and inter-agency checks.

 What Needs to Be Done—Now

• Urgent forensic audit of Tenwek Boys’ disbursement channels and follow-up records.

• Ministry/Magistrate testimonies in Parliament to explain the decision trail.

• Disciplinary actions and prosecutions if misuse or fraud is confirmed.

• Reforms around school verification processes—tie capitation to NEMIS registration status and board-approved procurements.

Perspective

This scandal underscores a painful truth: Kenya’s education governance is only as strong as its weakest verification system. Redirecting Ksh 50 million to an entity that doesn’t exist isn’t just a typo or oversight—it’s a breach of public trust. What’s at stake is both financial propriety and the future of students who depend on state resources.

The ball now lies in Parliament’s court—and in the hands of oversight agencies—to ensure this doesn’t become yet another headline in the long history of public fund mismanagement.