Kenya University Students Organization has called on President William Ruto to intervene on matters HELB.
Moreover, the Kenya University Students Organization chair Anthony Manyara wrote to President Ruto on September 26, to that effect saying needy university students were suffering.
“It is our request that an intervention or directive is issued to settle the blame-shifting games between HELB and the treasury,” Manyara said.
Manyara further accused HELB of delaying the disbursement of loans to students.
“Comrades receive their loan disbursements to enable them to meet tuition and accommodation costs alongside other needs,” he added.
According to HELB CEO Charles Ringera, the timelines between which treasury operates and the school calendar differ.
He gave an example that currently, students are in an ongoing semester, while the treasury starts a financial year in June. By this time, students are either in the May or September intake.
“We have unsynchronized exchequer releases with the academic calendar,” Ringera said.
Nonetheless, Kenya Kwanza led by Ruto had promised to restructure HELB to offer interest-free loans.
However, Ringera noted that the proposal by the Kenya Kwanza government to offer interest-free loans to university students may be costly.
According to the HELB CEO, the student loans agency was able to fund 347,166 students to the tune of Sh14.8 billion in the financial year 2021-22.
“Of these students, 106,048 were from TVETs at Sh3.9 billion, we still have some 35,137 unfunded students,” Ringera added
Furthermore, the HELB CEO stated that there is a board mandated to offer grants to university students.
“We already have the Universities Funding Board which provides funds for financing universities, ” he said.
Nevertheless HELB made the highest collection in 2021 at Sh5.2 billion, and from the Covid-19 penalty waiver, the board recovered Sh550 million.