The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has uncovered an alleged financial misconduct involving a high-ranking government official within the Ministry of Education. The official is accused of siphoning Ksh11 million over the course of a year by establishing a fictitious school.
The EACC, in an official statement, disclosed that this senior official was responsible for distributing government funds intended for the Free Day Secondary Education Program to schools. Exploiting his access to the Ministry’s financial system, the individual fabricated a non-existent school known as “Mundeku Secondary School” and designated his personal bank account as the school’s account.
The ghost school was purportedly established on August 22, 2017, and illicitly received funds for nearly a year, totaling Ksh11.1 million. This fraudulent scheme was eventually discovered by the EACC.
The anti-corruption agency promptly initiated legal proceedings to recover the misappropriated funds, which had primarily been used to purchase properties in various locations across the country. It is alleged that the government official utilized the funds to acquire a Toyota Vanguard vehicle and two parcels of land.
In a court ruling, Justice Prof Nixon Sifuna found that the official had devised and executed a deceitful plan that allowed him to amass Ksh11,131,305.53 at the expense of the students benefiting from the Free Day Secondary Education program. The High Court declared the properties purchased with these ill-gotten gains as the proceeds of criminal activities to be forfeited to the government.
Subsequent to this ruling, the EACC has assembled a case file for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), with the intention of pursuing corruption charges against the senior ministry official. The ODPP will assess the file and issue recommendations regarding the charges to be brought.
The revelations made by the EACC have exposed vulnerabilities in the Ministry’s financial management. Many Kenyans are now questioning how funds could be disbursed to a non-existent school for an entire year without detection.
