PIC Governance & Education meets education Cs over report of special audit of funds disbursed to private universities.

PIC Governance & Education meets education Cs over report of special audit of funds disbursed to private universities.

The Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education chaired by Hon. Jack Wamboka has today, Thursday, 11th April 2024 held a consultative meeting with Hon. Ezekiel Machogu, the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Education over various outstanding issues raised by the Auditor General.

During the deliberations, the Committee through the guidance of the Auditor General’s report and physical verification of documents observed that there are various gaps existing in learning institutions. The lawmakers asked the Cabinet Secretary to shed more light on the concerns raised, the probable cause of dysfunction in public educational institutions, and the plans the ministry had put in place to improve the management of educational institutions so that they can adequately deliver on their mandate.

The issues under consideration by the Committee included Budgetary Control and Performance, capacity building, officers serving for long periods in acting capacity, understaffing and the plight of Kaimosi University College.

The Committee during the deliberations noted that government capitation had been decreasing annually, sometimes dropping to below 30%. This, they observed, had made it reasonably impossible for the learning institutions to fully operationalize. Further, the inadequate capitation had forced the learning institutions to employ unqualified personnel because of the inability to sustain fully qualified staff.

Additionally, it was noted that most accounting officers lack basic training on matters management which translates to audit queries. The Committee recommended that the Ministry consider devising a policy on training of its staff, which they termed as crucial for the overall management, and performance of learning institutions.

Regarding vacant positions in a number of institutions, the Committee observed that quite a number of positions within universities and tertiary institutions had been vacant attracting acting positions filled beyond the stipulated timelines which is contrary to the law. 

This, the lawmakers noted, is in breach of Section 34(3) of the Public Service Commission Act, 2017 which provides that “An officer may be appointed in an acting capacity for a period of at least thirty days, but not exceeding a period of six months. 

"A case scenario is the registrar of Kenyatta University who has been in acting position for close to six (6) years and the Finance Officer of Multimedia University who has been acting for more than five (5) years”, observed Chair Wamboka.

The Committee also established that most tertiary institutions are understaffed and lack basic resources for efficient delivery of its mandate. The Members pointed out that the number of staff recruited by the Ministry was less, forcing the institution to absorb extra staff even with the underlying financial constraints. 

At the same time, during the meeting, it emerged, that the Auditor General has recommended that private universities refund Kshs.201,671,080 spent on students funded under Government Sponsored Students (GSS) but not placed by KUCCPS. 

This followed revelations that twenty-two (22) of the thirty-two (32) universities did not provide evidence of the capacity declarations made to the KUCCPS for the year’s students who were placed in these universities. 

The Committee also noted with concern that some institutions had over placed students beyond their declared capacities, or what is supported by declaration of capacities from the relevant universities.

The Members sought to know from Hon. Machogu if this had been a ploy by rogue officers from the ministry working with the accounting officers of private universities to siphon government funds.

"Heads will roll. We can't be having fraudulent officers minting public funds at the expense of very deserving youths”, Hon. Jack Wamboka, held. 

Members also called on CS Machogu to put in place a transition program that will act in place of now defunct, EDU Afya. 

“Students have been suffering since the Edu Afya program ended in 31st Dec 2022 and the ministry is silent on the way forward”, Committee Member, Hon. Tonkei pointed out.

In his response CS Machogu while acknowledging the shortcomings, said that since his appointment, he had continuously been putting up measures in place to address the gaps. He disclosed that the ministry had established a refund program with the universities that had received double funding, resulting to the recovery of  Kshs 4.4m out of Kshs.19m. 

The CS also defended himself, stating that some of the variances in the report were recorded during the previous administration. He told the Committee that the officers in charge the programs then, are under probe now, having been put to task to facilitate the ministry with relevant documents, which he undertook to avail to the Committee.

The Committee asked the CS to harmonize his report and that of the Auditor General
In two weeks’, time and to hold accountable any officer involved, before appearing before them.