The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has dismissed claims of misappropriation of funds after allegations made by a social media influencer.
HELB in a statement on Tuesday, September 17, flagged a post as fake to inform Kenyans that the information is false.
“Beware of misinformation, disinformation and insinuations. Always verify sources and share information responsibly,” the statement read.
The popular social media user by the name ‘Goddie’ had alleged that senior officials from the loans board diverted funds meant for University Student’s into non-student accounts.
“Allegedly, the accounts belong to senior employees but registered using different users to avoid raising suspicion. Documents show that the body has been running the scheme for a while now and the said accounts are always amongst the first ‘Batches’ to receive funds,” Goddie alleged.
Fake claims flagged by HELB
He further claimed that the loans are awarded to students based on their relationship with the senior officials.
“Reports indicate favoritism is also rampant with kin/relatives/friends and colleagues of HELB officials who have students in higher learning institutions receiving higher allocation,” the influencer said.
The statement comes after President William Ruto appointed a committee on September 16 to review the new university funding model.
While the new model is deemed acceptable, the placement process has been criticized for incorrectly categorizing needy students into loan bands four and five, which is designated for families with higher incomes.
The committee is comprised of four workstreams or sub-committees that will review the Structure of Student Loans among other responsibilities.
Also read: Ruto Appoints Committee to Review University Funding Model- List
Ruto Appoints committee after uproar over the funding model
The Chairpersons and Co-Chairpersons of the workstreams shall constitute the coordination Board of the Committee for the New University Education Funding Model.
Professor Japheth Micheni Ntiba has been appointed the Chairperson of the board, with members including the chairpersons and co-chairpersons of the four workstreams.
The formation of the committee came after students’ leaders across various universities in the country issued a 30-day notice to the government to address their concerns, over the funding model.
The students contended that the New Funding Model aims to segregate comrades based on family background, promote economic slavery through exorbitant student loans, and make higher education unaffordable.
Also read: Govt Issues Fresh Directive Over University Funding Model
Furthermore, some of the students want the government to reduce the bands to three rather than five to ensure students are well supported and a reconsideration of the indicators in the Means Testing Instrument (MTI).
The New Funding Model, launched on May 3, 2023, by President William Ruto, has faced criticism from various stakeholders, particularly concerning the placement of bands among students assigned to loan bands four and five.
This funding framework replaced the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) previously used to finance universities.
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