The official, responsible for disbursing government funds to schools under the Free Day Secondary Education Programme, created a ghost school and used his personal bank account as the school account.
A top official at the Ministry of Education is facing a probe by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after allegedly embezzling Sh11 million by creating a fake school.
In a statement, the EACC disclosed that the official, responsible for disbursing government funds to schools under the Free Day Secondary Education Programme, misused his position to orchestrate a sophisticated embezzlement scheme.
The official devised a ghost school named Mundeku Secondary School and cunningly utilized his personal bank account as the school’s financial hub.
The alleged fraudulent scheme commenced on August 22, 2017, and continued for almost a year, during which Sh11.1 million was illicitly funnelled into the ghost school. The EACC subsequently detected the financial irregularities.
The anti-corruption agency took prompt action to initiate the recovery of the embezzled funds, which had been partly spent on acquiring properties. Among the purchases attributed to the ill-gotten wealth were a Toyota Vanguard vehicle and two land parcels.
Corruption charges to be preferred
Justice Prof Nixon Sifuna presided over the case and determined that the official had masterminded the fraudulent operation, depriving Kenyan children – the intended beneficiaries of the Free Day Secondary Education program – of vital funds.
The High Court ruled that the acquired property was proceeds of crime and ordered it to be forfeited to the government.
Subsequently, the EACC has assembled a comprehensive case file for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), advocating for the ministry official to face corruption charges.
The ODPP will evaluate the case file and make appropriate recommendations concerning the corruption charges to be preferred against the implicated official.
The EACC’s findings have exposed critical areas for improvement in the Ministry’s financial management processes, with many Kenyans expressing disbelief at how funds could be funnelled into a fictitious school for nearly a year without detection.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of enhancing financial oversight and transparency within government institutions to prevent corruption and embezzlement.
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