Why lobby group wants Basic Education PS Bitok sent home

Consumers’ Federation of Kenya wants the Public Service Commission to immediately commence proceedings for his removal. It links Bitok to an alleged passport scandal, school fire tragedies and a ghost learners scam.

[Jenipher Wachie, Standard]

Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Julius Bitok is facing fresh pressure after a lobby group petitioned the Public Service Commission (PSC) seeking his removal from office over an alleged passport scandal, deadly school fire tragedies and a multi-billion-shilling ghost learners scam.

In the seven-paged petition filed yesterday, the Consumers’ Federation of Kenya (Cofek) asks the PSC to immediately commence removal proceedings against Bitok, accusing him of gross misconduct, incompetence, dereliction of duty, abuse of office and violation of constitutional principles during his tenure in both the Immigration and Education ministries.

The lobby group also argues that the PS has failed the constitutional test of integrity, accountability and professionalism required of a senior State officer.

“Cofek petitions for the removal of PS Julius Bitok on distinct, cumulative and individually sufficient grounds,” the petition states.

The petition, signed by Cofek Secretary General Stephen Mutoro, raises six serious allegations ranging from complicity in the illegal issuance of Kenyan passports to sanctioned war criminals, to gross negligence that the lobby says contributed to the deaths of 16 schoolgirls in last week’s Utumishi Girls Academy dormitory fire.

At the centre of the petition is an allegation linking Bitok, who previously served as PS for Immigration and Citizens Services, to a scheme in which Kenyan passports and identity documents were reportedly issued to foreign nationals, including individuals associated with Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group sanctioned by the United States for genocide, ethnic killings and sexual violence.

The petition names Algoney Hamdan Dagalo Musa, holder of Kenyan passport number AK1586127, described as the younger brother of RSF commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti.

The petition states that both the US Office of Foreign Assets Control and the European Union have imposed sanctions on this individual.

It further alleges that multiple Hamdan family members, including Mayada Hamdan, Abdaraheem Hamdan, Zahra Hamdan, Zariwa Hamdan and Musa Hamdan Musa, also reportedly appear on the leaked passport list.

Cofek noted that the media had published photographs showing Bitok and Immigration Director General Evelyn Cheluget inspecting passport booklets together, establishing what the petition describes as his “physical and administrative proximity to the issuance infrastructure.”

According to the petition, the scandal has attracted international criticism and damaged Kenya’s reputation globally.

“The immigration scandal has attracted adverse international commentary and damaged Kenya’s sovereign credibility and its standing as a neutral mediator in regional conflicts,” Mutoro says.

On his current Education docket, the petition documents a pattern of parliamentary contempt and absenteeism.

It references remarks allegedly made by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah during a parliamentary retreat in Naivasha in January 2026, where he reportedly described Bitok as “the most clueless” Principal Secretary in government and accused him of being “out of touch with realities on the ground,” citing failures in teacher rationalisation where some schools of 100 students had 28 teachers while neighbouring schools of 600 had none.

Bumula MP Jack Wamboka called on President William Ruto to directly remove Bitok from office, describing him as “a politician unfit for a technical reform role.”

Luanda MP Dick Maungu confirmed that Bitok had consistently failed to attend National Assembly committee meetings since his appointment, while Igembe North MP Julius Taitumu declared the House “done talking” as the Education Committee resolved to summon Bitok for an emergency accountability session.

Another major accusation relates to the long-running ghost schools and ghost learners fraud that has allegedly cost taxpayers billions of shillings.

Cofek relies on findings of a special audit commissioned by Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee, which reportedly revealed widespread manipulation of enrolment figures and illegal capitation payments.

According to the petition, 33 non-existent schools received government capitation funds, 354 secondary schools were overpaid by Sh3.59 billion through falsified enrolment data, 270 primary schools received funding for non-existent learners, and at least 87,000 ghost learners were later uncovered during a ministry verification exercise.

The organisation estimates that taxpayers may be losing as much as Sh5 billion annually through the fraud.

“The scale and duration of the fraud points to a systemic failure of oversight and management at the PS level,” the petition states.

Cofek further holds Bitok directly responsible for the conditions that led to the May 28 Utumishi Girls Academy fire in Gilgil, Nakuru County, in which 16 girls died and approximately 79 were injured, noting that post-Endarasha safety directives ordered in 2024 were never implemented.

“His failure to translate post-Endarasha directives into measurable, enforced outcomes directly contributed to the conditions that enabled the Utumishi Girls Academy tragedy,” the petition states.

The lobby group argues that repeated audits had already identified dangerous conditions in many boarding schools, including locked emergency exits, overcrowding and inadequate firefighting equipment.

Perhaps most damaging is the allegation that on May 29, 2026, the very day Parliament observed a moment of silence for the Utumishi victims, Bitok was physically present in Baringo County campaigning for President Ruto’s 2027 re-election bid.

Cofek alleges that Bitok was openly chanting the President’s name in a call-and-response format with residents responding “two terms.”

The petition also claims that he publicly declared a gubernatorial bid for the Uasin Gishu governorship in 2027 while still serving as a sitting PS.

“He has been openly cultivating a political constituency and using his PS position as a platform for electioneering,” the petition says.

Cofek wants the PSC to immediately initiate removal proceedings against Bitok, suspend him pending investigations, order a comprehensive integrity audit within the Education Ministry and refer the passport allegations to the DCI, EACC and National Intelligence Service for investigations.

The organisation has also demanded that the PSC publicly disclose the outcome of the petition within 30 days.