A school bus funded by public resources has vanished from its intended use and reemerged as a public service vehicle in Kisii County, according to investigations.
The vehicle, registered as KCE 129L, was acquired in the 2014/15 financial year by the Embakasi South National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NGCDF) for St Stevens Secondary School. It was later discovered parked at Nyangancha Market in Kisii County, bearing the branding of City Shuttle, a Nairobi-based transport company.
St Stevens Secondary School director Zablon Karani denied the bus had been converted into a matatu, stating it remained in a garage. However, a local source in Kisii claimed the vehicle had been repainted with City Shuttle colors and work had begun on its rebranding. The bus was relocated to an unknown site after the investigation team raised questions.
Residents in Kisii expressed confusion over the vehicle's presence, noting it had been there for over three weeks. A local vigilante group guarded the bus, claiming it belonged to an owner from Nyamira County who had not retrieved it. The group demanded the investigation team delete photos, citing lack of authorization.
A driver associated with the bus stated it had been operating under City Shuttle for four months before being brought to Kisii for repairs. NTSA records show the bus was transferred to Mwananchi Credit Limited and Zipporah Buyaki Nyakwara after a 2015 accident, with St Stevens Secondary School listed as the previous owner. Karani confirmed the school took a Sh1.2 million loan to repair the vehicle.
The controversy extends to Njenga Primary School, which was allocated Sh5.38 million for a bus in 2014/15. The school principal claims she never received the vehicle, while former NGCDF chairman Dominic Ndung’u alleged both buses were later used in 2017 political campaigns, though this remains unverified.
