Audit Uncovers 50,000 Ghost Students, Police and KDF Announce Mass Recruitments

Hello and welcome to the Money Weekly Newsletter, where we cover the audit on ghost students in schools.

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Audit Uncovers 50,000 Ghost Students

An audit by the Ministry of Education has established that there are 50,000 ghost students in secondary schools for whom the government has been paying capitation fees for.

In a year, the capitation fee for a secondary school student is set at Ksh22,244, meaning that with 50,000 ghost students, Ksh1.1 billion is lost annually. That translates to a loss of Ksh4.4 billion in 4 years.

Notably, the audit in schools has not been completed, and there could be an increase in the 50,000 figure.

At the beginning of Term Three, schools were directed to verify the number of students in their schools. Only schools that have completed the verification exercise have received capitation for students.

“So far, we have been able to disburse funds to about 17,500 schools. We have found that more than 50,000 secondary students so far cannot be accounted for, especially in secondary schools," he stated.

“That is the reality. For secondary schools, the numbers are not adding up. There are quite a number of students being reported separately. For primary and junior, the trend is slightly different, with enrolments appearing higher than expected.”

As a result of the delays for verification, some school heads have lamented over the strain they are facing with their daily operations, as they find it difficult to pay suppliers.

On the other hand, students in 1,900 schools are also at risk of missing out on capitation after their schools submitted faulty data to the ministry.

Preliminary reports show that 719 schools provided incorrect bank details, 900 submitted incomplete data, 250 used wrong templates or attachments, and 80 uploaded corrupt files or failed to provide learners’ Unique Personal Identification (UPI) numbers.

Here is a quick recap of the top money news for the week:

Police and KDF Announce Mass Recruitments 

The National Police Service Commission (NPSC) has announced countrywide recruitment of 10,000 police constables. The recruitment drive will be conducted in constituencies between Friday, October 3, and Thursday, October 9, 2025. As detailed by the Commission, the recruitment process will take place from 8 am to 5 pm at the respective centers. Read more.

Meanwhile, the Kenya Defense Forces on Monday announced a mass recruitment drive for various categories such as General Service Officers (cadets), Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, and Tradesmen and women. Applications are open until 12th October 2025. Here is everything you need to know and how you can apply. 

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I Quit Being a Matatu Conductor to Become a Boda Rider – Jackline's Story

After years of working as a matatu tout, Jackline Gladys made the bold decision to quit and buy her own motorbike. Today, the mother of two earns between Ksh1,500 and Ksh2,000 daily, enough to support her school-going children.

In this video, Jackline opens up about her journey, the challenges of being a woman in the bodaboda business, and how her hustle is helping her raise and educate her kids. This episode is powered by M-KOPA Kenya in celebration of the More Than a Phone campaign, where Kenyans are getting smartphones that come with free health insurance from Turaco.

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𝐈 𝐐𝐮𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐝𝐚 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 - 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 After years of working as a matatu tout, Jackline Gladys made th... See more

That’s a wrap for this week’s Money Weekly!

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