Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed has warned the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loan defaulters of dire consequences should they continue evading the responsibility of paying up. Speaking during the Board’s launch of 2019-2023 Strategic Plan at Laico Regency Hotel in Nairobi, the CS said the operation to recover KSh 7.2 billion from the 74, 000 defaulters would start immediately.
According to sources, the move will help the Board to increase the number of students eligible to benefit from the loan hence progressively implement universal funding for all students enrolled in universities.
“We are also going to partner with our law enforcement agencies to track down those holding jobs and yet are reluctant to stand up to be counted as responsible and patriotic citizens who honour their debts,” she said.
The Helb report on the 2013-218 Strategic Plan indicated the number of beneficiaries increased from 109,189 to 248,050 with funding budget moving from KSh 6 billion in 2012 to KSh 13.2 billion in 2018. The number of universities funded also increased from 59 to 78 within Kenya and East Africa. In 2019-2023 Strategic Plan, the Board allocated KSh 90.7 billion that would help in reforming and improving service delivery.