Ghosts exposed in Sh74m scholarship

AN audit has cast doubt on the authenticity of beneficiaries of a German-funded scholarship for vocational training students.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, in a report tabled in Parliament, said there was no evidence the 452 scholars who got the award existed.

A total of Sh74 million was paid out for the scholarships in the financial year ending June 30, 2024, the period under review.

Gathungu said her review established management relied on information obtained from a consultant to approve the disbursements.

“Management did not provide evidence of measures taken to ensure that the 452 scholars were actually the intended beneficiaries,” the report reads.

Gathungu further queried payment to students whose reporting dates were yet to be determined, putting the State Department for TVET in the spotlight.

It emerged that 102 of the students were awaiting placement by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service while 137 had no admission letters.

“It was not clear why funds were released for the benefit of the 239 scholars whose schools and reporting dates had not been confirmed.”

Gathungu reported the management did not provide the current status report of the beneficiaries.

She also raised concerns that there was no budgetary allocation within the department for monitoring and supervising implementation of the project.

“In the circumstances, the effectiveness of the supervisory role of the state department in the implementation of the project could not be confirmed,” the Auditor General said.

Also flagged is an underfunding of Sh85 million, being 53 per cent of the budget.

The management explained that this was occasioned by the slow progress of the implementing agencies in placing students in the relevant institutions.