Nairobi County Senator Edwin Sifuna has challenged Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Ogamba to come clean on the alleged ghost students scandal.
In a strongly worded post on his official Facebook page, Senator Sifuna called on the Ministry of Education to publicly disclose the names of individuals and schools implicated in the siphoning of public funds.
The Ministry of Education conceded that while they were doing an audit of schools, they found that there were 50,000 ghost students,” Sifuna wrote. “Can the Minister tell us today the names of those schools and the names of the persons who withdrew that money?” he questioned.
The revelations emerged after an internal audit conducted by the Ministry reportedly exposed widespread irregularities in the Free Primary and Secondary Education funds.
According to the audit, thousands of non-existent learners had been registered in various institutions, leading to the fraudulent withdrawal of millions of shillings meant for genuine students.
Sifuna warned that unless accountability is enforced, such scandals will continue to rob Kenyan children of their right to education. “This is not just theft, it is a crime against innocent learners who are denied resources they deserve,” he added.
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The Senator’s remarks come at a time when public trust in education sector reforms is being tested. Education stakeholders, parents, and civil society groups have also raised concerns about systemic corruption and lax oversight within school management structures.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has remained tight-lipped, with no immediate response from CS Ogamba regarding the Senator’s demands. Calls are growing for the government to publish a full report of the audit and initiate prosecutions against those found culpable.
The ghost students scandal is expected to trigger further debate in Parliament as pressure mounts for full disclosure and accountability.
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