The opaque veil covering the disbursement of billions in school capitation funds has been ripped open. The Commission on Administrative Justice (Ombudsman) has issued a stinging order to the Ministry of Education, compelling it to publish detailed data on how much money has been sent to each public school.

The ruling follows an Access to Information (ATI) request filed by a concerned citizen, frustrated by the perennial complaints from headteachers about empty accounts. The Ministry had previously stonewalled the request, but the Ombudsman declared this secrecy unconstitutional under Article 35.

The "Ghost" in the Machine

Why is the data sensitive? Critics argue the Ministry hides the figures to mask two scandals: massive delays in disbursement and the "ghost student" phenomenon. While the government claims to release KES 22,244 per secondary school student, principals claim they receive far less, often in erratic tranches that make planning impossible.

• The KES 44.2 Billion Question: Just last week, CS Julius Ogamba announced the release of KES 44.2 billion for Term 1. The Ombudsman’s order means the Ministry must now provide a school-by-school breakdown of this money. This will allow parents and Boards of Management to audit whether the cash actually arrived.
• Maladministration Warning: The Commission warned that failure to comply would amount to "maladministration," a charge that could lead to sanctions against senior ministry officials. "Public funds cannot be managed in the dark," the ruling read.
• School Crisis: The lack of transparency has real-world costs. Day schools, which rely entirely on capitation, are drowning in debt. Suppliers are cutting off food deliveries, and non-teaching staff are going months without pay.

A Victory for Accountability

This ruling is a potential game-changer. If implemented, it will empower communities to track every shilling sent to their local school. It forces the Ministry to move from press release declarations to spreadsheet accountability. The clock is ticking for Jogoo House to open its books.