Ministry of Education Report on Total Number of Registered Schools, plus ghost schools

REPUBLIC OF KENYA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION
                        OFFICE OF THE CABINET SECRETARY                       

PRESS STATEMENT
For Immediate Release
Nairobi, Thursday, 12^th  February 2026
STATEMENT  BY THE CABINET SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION,  ON  THE RELEASE OF THE SCHOOL DATA VERIFICATION REPORT

Background

Today, we are officially releasing the School Data Verification Report. This report is the outcome of a nation-wide exercise that was carried out by the Ministry of Education. The exercise started on 1^st  September, 2025.
The Government invests significant public funds annually in the provision of  free  and  compulsory  basic  education,  in  line  with  Article  53  of  the Constitution.  The  funds  for  Free  Primary  Education,  Junior  School Education, Free Day Secondary Education, and Special Needs Education, are allocated strictly on the basis of learner enrolment as captured in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
In this context, accurate data is therefore not optional  — it is a legal, financial, and ethical obligation. The verification exercise was conducted to safeguard public resources, strengthen accountability, and ensure that Government  capitation  is  based  on  accurate,  verifiable,  and  credible enrolment   data  across   all   public   basic   education  institutions.   The objectives of the exercise were to:

1. Confirm the accuracy and authenticity of learner enrolment figures used for capitation.
2.  Eliminate unauthenticated learners  and  non-operational  schools from public funding.
3. Ensure equitable and fair distribution of resources to schools.
4. Strengthen the integrity of education  data  as  we  transition  from NEMIS   to   the   more   robust   Kenya   Education   Management Information  System  (KEMIS)  as  per  the  recommendation  of  the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.

Scope and Methodology of the Verification

The verification exercise covered public primary schools, junior schools, secondary schools, and special needs education institutions across all the 47 counties.
The verification focused on reconciling learner enrolment and institutional records captured in NEMIS with independently submitted and validated school-level  data.  The  school-level  data  was  submitted  by  Heads  of Institution and Sub-County Directors of Education.
While the exercise achieved significant national coverage and produced credible   results,  several  operational   and   systemic  challenges  were encountered during the verification process:
1. Connectivity constraints in remote and hard-to-reach areas delayed data submissions and synchronization.
2. Incomplete   and   inconsistent   data   submissions   from   some institutions, which complicated data authentication and delayed final verification. Fourteen (14) institutions did not submit data at all.
3. Capacity  gaps  at  the  school  level,  particularly  in  institutions  that lacked trained data officers or personnel adequately familiar with NEMIS requirements and verification tools.

4. Lack of birth  certificates  affected  the  verification  of  early  grade learners in primary education.

Findings

Despite these challenges, the verification exercise has produced a report that  provides  the  foundation  for  strengthening  the  integrity  of  the education sector data.
The exercise revealed that while a majority of schools complied with data requirements,  significant  anomalies  were  identified  in  others.  These include:

1. Discrepancies between the data on NEMIS and the school-level data as submitted by Heads of Institutions as indicated below:

2. Unauthenticated learner records, including missing or invalid Unique Personal Identifiers, duplicated or incorrect assessment numbers, and mismatched examination centre codes.
3. Ten (10) secondary schools and seventeen (17) primary schools that were non-operational  due  to  insecurity,  lack  of  learners, relocation of communities, or administrative closure — but whose status had not been reported to the Ministry and who continued to appear in NEMIS.
4. One hundred and  two  (102)  junior  schools  and  eighty-four
   (84)  primary  schools  that  were  below  the  stipulated  minimum enrolment threshold.
5. Weak oversight at the Sub-County level, where discrepancies were neither reported nor corrected promptly.

Data entry in NEMIS is done at the school level. Heads of Institution are the  custodians  of  school  data  and  are  personally  responsible  for  the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of all learner records entered into the system. Any deliberate falsification, inflation, or misrepresentation of enrolment data constitutes gross misconduct and a breach of public trust.

Similarly, Sub-County Directors of Education are responsible for oversight, supervision,  and  validation  of  schools  within  their  jurisdiction.  Where discrepancies  occurred  and  were  ignored,  condoned,  or  failed  to  be escalated, administrative responsibility arises.
In  light  of  the  foregoing  findings,  the  Ministry  is  taking  the  following action:

1. This report will be forwarded to the Teachers Service Commission for appropriate administrative action against:

(a)    Fourteen (14) Heads of Institution for failure or refusal to submit data for verification.
(b)    Twenty  (20)  Heads  of  Institution  for  submitting  inflated student enrolment data.
2. Administrative  action  is  being  taken  against  twenty-eight  (28) Sub-County  Directors  of  Education  and  Quality  Assurance  and Standards officers in areas where systemic failures or supervisory lapses are established. These include officers who failed to report non-operational schools in their respective areas of jurisdiction.
3. This  report  will  be  submitted  to  the  Directorate  of  Criminal Investigations for further action.
4. Suspension  of  all  unverified  learners  from  resource  allocation  in order to protect public funds and uphold accountability. Funding for the affected learners will only be restored upon verification.
5. Non-operational schools will be subjected to formal closure or de- registration in accordance with existing laws and regulations.

6. Data verification will be carried out on a termly basis.
   7. Strengthening capacity building   for   Heads   of   Institution   and education officers on data management, information security and accountability.
   8. Accelerating the transition to KEMIS, which will introduce stronger validation     controls,     real-time     reporting,     and     improved interoperability.
7. Reorganising administrative structures and human resource within the Ministry for greater efficiency, transparency and accountability.
   These actions are necessary to restore discipline, protect public resources, and reaffirm the integrity of our education system.

I thank all officers and stakeholders who participated in this exercise and assure  Kenyans  that  the  Ministry  of  Education  remains  committed  to delivering a fair, accountable, and learner-centred education system.

Julius Migos Ogamba, EBS
CABINET SECRETARY