An audit report has revealed how millions of bursary cash meant for needy learners, could be ending up in the pockets of a few corrupt officers and MPs in constituencies across the country.
The report comes at a time learners have reported back to schools for the first term of 2025, with many awaiting disbursement of their bursaries.
The report by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, released in December 2024, reveals mismanagement of the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) bursary kitties, exposing needy learners to suffering.
In some cases, the report shows, education support for needy learners is issued to non-existent students and pupils.
Further no details of names of the learning institutions, bank details, bursary amounts, full names of beneficiaries and their admission numbers or acknowledgement letters or receipts from institutions hosting learners were presented to confirm that the bursaries were received.
"It could not therefore be ascertained, whether the bursaries running to millions of shillings, awarded during the year reached the intended beneficiaries and were properly accounted for," reads part of the audit report for the financial year ending 2022.
The affected constituencies include Sabatia, Rongo, Nakuru East, Narok West and Embakasi North.
Others are Webuye East,Turbo, Suba North, Sotik, Nyaribari Chache, Naivasha, Mwingi Central, Mogotio, Olkalou, Nyakach, Malindi, Westlands among others.
According to the Auditor General, in Sabatia Constituency, Vihiga County, Sh58 million was spent on bursaries but the area lawmaker could only account for Sh38 million with no details of beneficiaries of the amount each learner received.
In Sabatia, the constituency disbursed bursaries amounting to Sh10,752,770 to various secondary schools, Sh26,974,600 to tertiary institutions and Sh1,014,890 to special schools, all totaling to Sh38,742,260.
However, the auditor general observed that that out of Sh236,308,132 that was received from the NG-CDF Board during the year under review, Sh38,742,260 was used on bursary, equivalent to 16 per cent, instead of Sh59,077,1080— being 25 per cent stipulated by Regulation 21(5) of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund Regulations, 2016.
“Details on types and names of the learning institutions, bank details, bursary amounts, full names of the students and their admission numbers, the county in which they are located and receipts confirmations or acknowledgement that the bursaries were received by the respective institutions were not provided for audit review,” said Ms Gathungu.
She said a review of the bank reconciliation statement revealed unpresented cheques of Sh2,293,708.
In Rongo, the auditor pointed out the statement of receipts and payments reflecting an amount of Sh65,643,718 in respect to other grants and transfers to secondary schools and tertiary institutions.
However, review of payment vouchers, schedules and records provided for audit showed a schedule of bursary disbursements amounting to Sh2,118,500 was not reflecting beneficiaries’ admission numbers.
According to the report, 157 beneficiaries received bursary allocations more than once and of varied amounts.
“In the circumstances, the regularity of the expenditure of Sh46,658,356, fairness and equity in bursary disbursements in Rongo Constituency could not be confirmed,” said Gathungu
In Narok West Constituency, represented by Gabriel Tongoyo, Gathungu highlighted similar misuse of funds meant for bursaries.
For instance, bursaries worth Sh9 million were irregularly spent on 675 beneficiaries with no admission or registration numbers.
The report further shows that some of the beneficiaries in Narok West shared similar admission numbers in their respective schools and some students had no names.
The report shows that Sh17,564,000 was disbursed as bursary to secondary schools and Sh35,459,194 to tertiary institutions.
“In the circumstances, the propriety, accuracy and completeness of bursary payments of Sh17,895,194 and Sh17,564,000 in respect of bursary to secondary schools and to tertiary institutions in Narok West Constituency could not be confirmed,” said Gathungu.
In Embakasi North, represented by James Gakuya, Gathungu said “examination of payment vouchers provided for audit revealed bursary awards amounting to Sh58,820,000 in Embakasi North Constituency resulted in an unexplained variance of Sh605,000.”
The Auditor General said of the Sh46,465,000 disbursed to secondary schools in the constituency, there was a payment of Sh34,000,000, whose supporting schedule of the schools and beneficiaries were not provided for audit.
Gathungu said a review of records provided for audit revealed that none of the bursary beneficiaries could be traced to an application form submitted for funding.
She said the bursaries amount of Sh59,425,000, which is 53 per cent of the total transfers from the NG-CDF Board, was 18 per cent above the allowable limit of 35 per cent with the anomaly not explained.
“In the circumstances, the accuracy, completeness and authenticity of the bursary disbursements of Sh59,425,000 in Embakasi North Constituency could not be confirmed,” she said.
In Nakuru East, represented by David Gikaria, Sh62 million was disbursed to secondary schools and Sh18 million to tertiary institutions.
However, financial returns acknowledging receipts of funds and confirming that the amounts have been credited to the beneficiaries fees accounts and the criteria of vetting and names of beneficiaries were not provided.
Further, no documentary evidence was provided to confirm that the beneficiaries were residents of Nakuru East.
In addition, the total bursary amount of Sh81,147,308 differs with the supporting schedule amount of Sh26,438,000, resulting to unreconciled variance of Sh54,709,308.
In Webuye East, Sh24 million was disbursed to tertiary institutions but was not supported by a list of beneficiaries and acknowledgement receipts from recipient institutions.
Also out of Sh42million disbursed to secondary schools, Sh892,000 was not supported by acknowledgement receipts from recipient schools.
In Turbo Constituency in Uasin Gishu County, there was no evidence presented to show that there was vetting, identification and categorizing of the needy before Sh57 million was disbursed to secondary schools , tertiary institutions and special schools.
In Suba North, out of Sh51million disbursed to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools, there were no supporting documents for Sh11million.
In Nyaribari Chache, the audit established that there was no properly established bursary committee despite the disbursement of Sh92 million during the year under review.
Other constituencies that cannot account for millions of shillings disbursed to secondary schools, tertiary institutions and special schools include Sotik (Sh35 million), Naivasha (Sh64 million), Mwingi Central (Sh77 million), Mogotio (Sh103million), Olkalou (Sh48million), Nyakach (Sh56million), Malindi (Sh24million), Westlands (Sh61million) among others.
According to the Auditor General, without proper evidence of beneficiaries, the money may have ended in pockets of officials managing the funds.
Members of Parliament who were in office in the affected constituencies during the period, are also on the spot over the anomalies in the disbursement of the millions of shillings of bursaries meat to help needy learners.
Gathungu has questioned the manner in which bursaries the bursaries were disbursed and spent in the constituencies.
