The free ride for schools padding their numbers is officially over. Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba has just signaled a massive cleanup of the school system, forwarding the names of 34 headteachers to the TSC for disciplinary action.

The move follows a deep dive into the National Education Management Information System (NEMIS), which exposed some pretty bold discrepancies. Out of the 34 flagged heads, 14 flat-out refused to hand over student data, while 20 others were caught inflating their enrolment numbers to snag more government funding.

But it’s not just the teachers under fire. Ogamba is also going after 28 Sub-County Directors and Quality Assurance officers who apparently fell asleep at the wheel. These officials are being blamed for failing to report “non-operational” schools—basically schools that exist on paper but don’t actually function.

The CS didn’t mince words, calling data submission a “legal, ethical, and financial obligation.” He’s also invited the DCI to take a closer look at the cases, which suggests some of these officials might be trading their desks for a witness stand soon.

The fallout?

• Government funding for any unverified learner has been frozen immediately.

• “Ghost” schools are being deregistered and shut down for good.

• Headteachers are now being held personally responsible for every name on their list.

Bottom line: If the numbers don’t add up, the Ministry is moving in.