Gathungu exposes scholarship irregularities

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu has unearthed a number of irregularities involving billions of shillings in scholarships that were disbursed in various primary schools.

An audit report on Kenya Primary Education Equity in learning project under the State Department for Basic Education reveals a myriad of queries relating to issuance of stale cheques, having un-surrendered disbursements and unsupported expenditure worth Sh1.7 billion as well as irregular disbursement of the scholarships worth Sh1.65 billion.

In the report for the year ending June 30, 2023, Gathungu regretted that the queries surrounding scholarship disbursements is in respect to grants and transfers as well as scholarship funding for learners in 13 sub-counties.

Transport payments

The sub counties include Kisii Central, Kisumu West, Matungulu, Mandera East, Marsabit, Westlands, Narok South, Transnzoia East, Kwanzaa, Kapsaret, Wajir East, West Pokot and North Pokot.

Reads the report: “The statement of receipts and payments and as disclosed in Note 5 to the financial statements reflects an amount of Kshs.1,653,355,334 in respect of other grants and transfers, being scholarship funding for Cohort 1 and Cohort 2. However, a number of anomalies were noted.”

Of the Sh1.65 billion, includes unsupported transport payments to the learners in the 13 sub counties.