The National Assembly Public Investments Committee (PIC) on Governance and Education has faulted the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) over uneven textbook distribution in public institutions, following an audit tour of senior schools at the Coastal region.           

During the audit exercise, PIC Chairperson and Luanda MP Dick Maungu said several institutions are storing thousands of unneeded textbooks, while lower-category schools suffer severe shortages.           

Maungu noted that in the Coast region, several schools have been receiving more books than they actually need, citing Shimo La Tewa School, which had over 1,000 extra books, while another school had over 600 excess copies.

The committee questioned why KICD discriminated against lower-category C3 and C4 schools, which continue to struggle without adequate teaching materials, while C1 national schools received excess stock.

The lawmaker said the parliamentary team will summon KICD management to explain the criteria used to allocate textbooks.

He also flagged the illegal diversion of public funds to the Kenya Secondary School Heads Association, noting that head teachers are sending public money to KESSHA despite the association refusing audits by the Auditor-General.    

Maungu confirmed that KESSHA leadership will be summoned by the end of the week to address the issue.

The audit further highlighted an irregular directive by a Coastal County Director of Education, who wrote letters instructing principals to levy students Sh1, 000 each for co-curricular activities, including Sh550 per student for drama and Sh340 for other events.

The chairperson questioned where a County Director of Education derives such powers to issue fee directives without legal authority.

 Additionally, the exercise uncovered procurement irregularities surrounding Competency-Based Curriculum classrooms, where school principals reported that construction projects were managed externally, leaving headteachers only with instructions to release payments without supervising works.

Discrepancies were also identified between actual funds received by school heads and figures recorded in the National Education Management Information System reports.           

Despite the systemic flaws identified, Maungu commended most school heads for their transparency during the maiden parliamentary audit, noting that the majority of them were above board.

The committee plans to inspect 52 senior schools across Kilifi, Kwale, Mombasa, and Taita Taveta counties before summoning Ministry of Education officials, KICD, and KESSHA leadership to answer the flagged audit queries.

by Sadik Hassan