Audit Uncovers 50,000 Ghost Students in Sh1 Billion Capitation Fraud - September 2025

An ongoing audit in Kenya has revealed that approximately 50,000 "ghost students" have been illegally receiving government capitation funds in secondary schools. This discovery has exposed a massive fraud scheme estimated to be worth Sh1 billion. Principal Secretary of Basic Education Julius Bitok confirmed that these ghost learners have been fraudulently receiving government allocations. According to the reports, each fictitious student was costing KSh 16,000 annually, while another report cited an amount of Ksh 15,000. This illicit scheme has diverted significant funds intended for genuine students.