The Higher Education Loan Board (HELB) on Wednesday, March 10 addressed delays in the disbursement of student loans, blaming the treasury for not releasing the funds, which should have been disbursed to students by January 2021.
"We are all waiting for funding from the National Treasury, for now, we do not have funds to release to students, " said HELB Chief Executive Officer Charles Ringera.
He also urged students to be patient as the board pushes the treasury to release the funds.
The board also blamed loan defaulters for the delay saying that some of the past beneficiaries of the loan have the ability to pay but have failed to pay.
University Education Principal Secretary, Simon Nabukwesi backed HELB asking legislators to help in pushing for disbursement of the loans.
"We need to enable our students to settle down because it has taken too long to release the funds. Funding by the National Treasury has been low but we need a way forward, " said Nabukwesi.
This comes after the students of Moi University went on strike on Tuesday, March 8 citing delays in the disbursement of the HELB funds which has left them without money to buy food.
The school administration banned the students from cooking inside the school’s hostels in 2019. But the students said that buying food from eateries is expensive, with the lack of HELB funds now making the situation worse.
On Wednesday, March 10, the former University of Nairobi student leader, and the current Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino threatened to lead a nationwide strike in all universities if HELB continues delaying the disbursement of student loans.
"HELB must be disbursed as soon as possible. Otherwise, comrades are going to die of hunger... Date to be communicated as soon as possible," Owino declared.
