The Following Secondary Schools on the Spot Over Mismanagement of Funds
The Following Secondary Schools on the Spot Over Mismanagement of Funds. Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has flagged several secondary schools for financial mismanagement. In the inaugural report on the audit of public secondary schools, Gathungu raised concerns about unsubstantiated expenditure related to school fees, payments for boarding facilities, benefits and capitation grants. The schools allegedly failed to provide evidence of how the funds were used.
About 30 schools were investigated in the reports, with Gathungu questioning the implementation of various development projects and stressing that many were breaking the law. Among the schools inspected are Eldoro Girls and Kitumbi High School in Taita Taveta District, Mivumoni High School in Kwale, Kanyawanga High School in Migori and others in various districts.
Specifically, at St Patrick’s Naitiri High School, concerns were raised over unsupported tuition and boarding school fees of Sh2.2 million, without supporting documents such as purchase orders and tenders. Eldoro Girls High School has faced problems related to unsupported income from the Parents Association where Sh6.1 million was received but not deposited into the school account.
Gathungu also raised questions about various expenses, including service gratuities, local transport, administrative costs and personal perks amounting to millions of shillings. The accuracy and completeness of these expenses could not be confirmed due to missing documents and discrepancies in the documentation provided.
The report highlighted concerns about incomplete and inaccurate recording of financial transactions, impacting on the overall transparency and accountability of these schools. Gathungu’s findings highlight the need for better financial management practices in these institutions to ensure proper use of public funds and compliance with legal requirements.
Schools are subjected to yearly auditing to scale out the yearly budget and how money raised from school fees and government funds were spent.
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