Nyeri Town Member of Parliament (MP) Duncan Maina has challenged the Ministry of Education to adopt more stringent oversight measures to ensure that public funds are directed only to legitimate institutions and learners.

Speaking during a presser on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, Maina pointed to the management of the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) as a blueprint for accountability.

“The Ministry of Education will need to do two things. Number one, we must deal with this issue of ghost schools and ghost students once and for all,” Maina stated.

“How come I don’t have ghost schools and ghost students in my CDF category? How come the ministry cannot do such a thing?”

He argued that a digitised and more transparent tracking system would prevent the syphoning of resources and ensure that the boost reaches the intended beneficiaries.

Maina also called for a realistic reassessment of what it actually costs to run educational institutions in the current economic climate.

“We need a realistic reassessment of the cost of education in our institutions,” Maina said.

Local intervention for day schools

Maina further announced a localised initiative targeting day schools within Nyeri Town.

The plan focuses on subsidising the salaries of Board of Management (BOM) teachers, who are typically paid directly through parental contributions.

“We have 12 BOM teachers in about six out of our 19-day schools,” he explained. “We have made a decision that we will issue a special bursary to those schools… so that, effective end of May this year, no day school parent will pay the salary of a teacher.”

Ruto on new funding model

President Ruto has noted that in the past, school heads had to wait for capitation funds after learners had already reported, a situation that often strained institutions financially.

“Tulikubaliana yakwamba watoto wetu wasome, na mimi nikiwa hapa Murang’a leo, vile nilitangaza last week, mbeleni walimu wakuu walikuwa wanangojea pesa ya capitation baada ya watoto kufika shuleni. But nimebadilisha from this year; kabla ya watoto kufika shuleni, tunatoa pesa ya capitation watoto wakutane nayo shuleni,” Ruto said.