MPs Unearth Misuse of NEMIS Data On Education Funds
MPs have criticized Richard Belio Kipsang, the Principal Secretary of Basic Education, for alleged irregularities in the allocation of funds for free primary education. The Public Accounts Committee members have accused the National Education Management Information System (Nemis) of being misused to divert funds from the intended program.
There is also opposition to the proposed re-registration of program-benefitting institutions due to fears of potential corruption.
Led by nominated MP John Mbadi, the committee highlighted that some institutions registered under Nemis were excluded from the program. Mbadi expressed concerns about the possibility of corruption within the State Department of Education, emphasizing that the success of the Free Primary Education program relies on the removal of corrupt staff.
One of the committee’s concerns pertained to the allocation of registration numbers by the TSC to schools. Mbadi questioned how numerous schools could share identical TSC registration numbers, referring to this as a pressing scandal that requires immediate attention.
According to the Auditor General’s report for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2022, approximately 24,119 schools that received FPE funds shared the same TSC registration number. The Permanent Secretary clarified that each school should have a unique four-digit code.
The Permanent Secretary assured the committee that the implementation of Nemis has notably improved efficiency, particularly in data collection for fund allocation. However, the committee requested a detailed report on fund distribution to registered institutions through the Nemis platform.
The Permanent Secretary also informed the committee about the renaming of Nemis to Kenya Education Management Information System (Kemis), which has been reinforced to prevent fraudulent activities.
Furthermore, MP John Mbadi granted the Permanent Secretary one week to produce expired lease agreements, addressing concerns about payments for county education office locations. The Permanent Secretary was obligated to provide documentation regarding lease agreements and associated payments.
MPs Unearth Misuse of NEMIS Data On Education Funds
