The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has flagged as fake reports of freezing the bank accounts of 316,000 graduates who have defaulted on their academic loans.
In a statement shortly after the post went viral, HELB described the report as fake and a tactic to spread misinformation to the masses, urging beneficiaries to verify any information about the board on its official page.
"Relax, your bank account is safe! That viral post saying HELB is freezing accounts? Pure fiction & misinformation! Let’s not stress over fake news. Check HELB’s official page for the real tea," the notice by HELB read.
The post, shared by a popular X page, quickly went viral after being posted early Sunday morning, with hundreds of engagements from Kenyans expressing their dissatisfaction over the move.
It claimed that HELB was seeking to recover up to Ksh35 billion from defaulters if granted the permission by MPs.
"HELB is set to freeze bank accounts of 316,000 graduates who defaulted on their student loans. If approved by Parliament, the agency will recover up to Ksh35 billion," the post read.
This supposedly fake report comes just days after the HELB CEO, Geoffrey Monari, revealed that the board would soon involve police officers in the recovery of the loans.
While appearing before the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education, Monari told the MPs that the board is finalising a partnership with law enforcement agencies to trace graduates, both locally and abroad, who are employed but have failed to start repaying their loans.
“This is not just about finance. It's about fostering a sense of responsibility and patriotism among those who have benefited from the funds. Compliance ensures we can support future generations from needy backgrounds,” he stated.
Just a day after, on May 31, however, HELB backtracked on the CEO's assertion, stating that no police officers would be sent to recover any of the loans, calling for collective responsibility from defaulters.
"HELB is not sending law enforcement officers after loan defaulters. This is a call to your heart, not your fear," HELB dismissed the claims, terming them fake.
"When you repay your loan, you’re not just clearing a debt; you’re giving another Kenyan the chance to learn, grow, and rise. Let’s lift each other, one dream at a time."
