Education Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
Mind-blowing details of how heads and suppliers have been swindling taxpayers of their hard-earned cash continue to come to light.
The Kenyan taxpayer has been paying billions of shillings in the purchase of exorbitantly priced textbooks in a criminal scheme involving headteachers and suppliers of books.
A report entitled Re-evaluation of School Textbooks has revealed that publishers sold the books at three times the actual price.In the new programme set to start next year in January, the taxpayer will only part with 7.6 billion shillings for the supply of books to public schools.
The government will save about 376 shillings with the rolling out of the programme.
These shocking details emerged after the Ministry of Education ordered a new re-tendering process initiated by the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD).
The move to have the government directly procure books for schools has attracted fire fro KNUT chairman Wilsson Sossion.''This is mega-corruption. Teachers must have a right to choose the books they use in class. They cannot micromanage the selection of books.'' A fiery Sossion said in Kisii during a KUPPET delegates meeting.