MPs Outraged over Misuse of Nemis to Divert Free Primary Education Funds
MPs slammed Basic Education Principal Secretary Richard Belio Kipsang for alleged irregularities in the distribution of funds for free primary education.
Members of the Public Accounts Committee asserted that the National Education Management Information System (Nemis) was used to siphon off funds intended for the program.
The members also voiced their opposition to the planned re-registration of institutions that benefit from the program, fearing that the process would become an opportunity for corruption.
According to the committee chaired by nominated MP John Mbadi, some institutions that were registered under Nemis were excluded from the program.
Mbadi stated that the Free Primary Education program could be rendered ineffective if the State Department of Education does not eliminate corrupt employees.
Mbadi brought to the attention of the PS a concerning issue regarding the registration numbers allocated by the TSC to numerous schools.
He posed the question of how it was possible for a significant number of schools to possess identical TSC registration numbers. Expressing his strong stance on the matter, Mbadi referred to this situation as a scandal that demands immediate attention and resolution.
According to a report by the Auditor General for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, approximately 24,119 schools that received FPE funds had the same TSC registration number.
Every school has a distinct four-digit code, the PS stated in his response.
The Permanent Secretary affirmed to the committee that, currently, the implementation of Nemis has resulted in enhanced efficiency for the department. This improvement is particularly evident in the data collection process for the allocation of funds to schools.
The committee requested that the department submit a report detailing how funds were distributed to all registered institutions using the Nemis platform.
The PS informed the committee that Nemis will be renamed Kenya Education Management Information System (Kemis), a system that has been strengthened to prevent fraud.
In addition, Mbadi gave the PS one week to provide expired lease agreements in response to the committee’s concern over the amounts paid for each location housing county education offices.
The PS was obligated to provide documentation regarding leases and payments for county education offices.
MPs Outraged over Misuse of Nemis to Divert Free Primary Education Funds