Kenya's Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu,has brought to light a significant scandal involving the disbursement of billions of shillings to non-existent schools and ghost students over four financial years, from 2020 to 2024. A special report, presented to the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee (PAC), detailed how irregularities in the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS) allowed 723 out of 1,039 sampled schools to gobble up KSh3.7 billion in capitation funds. This massive fraud includes 33 non-existent schools that continued to receive state funding, even as operational public schools grapple with a severe funding deficit of KSh117 billion, affecting primary, secondary, and junior institutions.

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The audit revealed that secondary schools were the most underfunded, and some operational schools had their funds mixed in single bank accounts, undermining accountability. The report also raised concerns about the equity of the capitation funding model, arguing it fails to account for varying school needs. In response, Members of Parliament have called for urgent reforms to the flawed NEMIS system, with accusations that it may be deliberately skewed to disadvantage certain regions, suggesting the Ministry of Education is operating more like a business than a public service.

Amidst these revelations, concerns over police brutality and the use of excessive force during recent protests have also dominated national headlines. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has announced plans to issue a formal directive regulating police use of force, particularly concerning suspects. This directive, based on Article 245(4) of the Constitution, is expected to be published in a gazette notice. The move comes as public outcry mounts following incidents like the tragic death of 23-year-old James Wambugu Gachara, a Form Three student who was shot by anti-riot police on July 7, 2025, while walking home from school in Nanyuki.

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Despite no protests being near his school, James was hit by a live round near the Nanyuki Law Courts, an incident captured on a viral video. He succumbed to his injuries the following day, with a postmortem revealing a catastrophic, close-range gunshot wound to the pelvis. Murkomen, while previously advocating for shooting individuals attacking stations, clarified that any officer found to have unlawfully used force would face legal consequences, promising investigations and disciplinary actions for excesses. This policy shift follows nationwide demonstrations on June 25 and July 7, 2025, which Murkomen described as involving “raw and unprecedented terror” by violent elements.

In other significant news, former nominated senator Gloria Orwoba has been ordered to pay KSh10 million to Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye for defamation. The ruling by Milimani Commercial Court Magistrate Ruguru Ngotho on July 14, 2025, found Orwoba's social media statements—accusing Nyegenye of sexual harassment, which he vehemently denied—to be defamatory, malicious, and not protected by parliamentary privilege. The court has also mandated Orwoba to issue a formal apology to Nyegenye through her social media platforms and in a national newspaper within 30 days, with failure to comply resulting in an additional KSh1 million fine plus accruing interest. This judgment follows shortly after Orwoba’s expulsion from her position as a nominated senator.