Have you defaulted on your HELB loan?
If your answer is in the affirmative, you might want to do something about servicing that loan because the police intend to track you down.
The State, through Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, on Wednesday said the Higher Education Loans Board (Helb) seeks to recover over Sh7.2 billion owed by 74,000 defaulters.
According to Amina, the crackdown will start any time from now in conjunction with law enforcement agencies. She also asked employers to help in tracking down loan defaulters.
“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.
Loan defaulters based in the diaspora will not be exempted from the crackdown either. Helb chief executive Charles Ringera said they will partner with the Foreign Affairs ministry to track them down.
“We are having a large number of graduates leaving the country to work abroad majority who have defaulted,” Mr Ringera noted.
They were speaking during the launch of Helb’s 2019-2023 strategic plan.
Below are some reactions by Kenyans on Twitter:
When Helb officials pull up to your doorstep with the whole Recce and Flying squad and ask you why you haven’t repaid your loan.pic.twitter.com/lLn2VLFeDx
— Mutinda? (@brianmutinda_) February 20, 2019
? ? ? HELB to partner with CID and Police ?. This is crazy. What if China hunts Kenya ? down. Take us slow Helb. Mambo ni slow motion ata tala na branch wanatupeleka pole pole
— Rafiki_ke ?? (@fidel_Ke) February 20, 2019
Yo!!! Kenya won’t let me rest. I’m in the vicinity minding my own and boom! I dunno whose family is taking over JKIA, Police are going after HELB defaulters and my governor is out here saying “cirries and capacirry”
*I. Can. Not* pic.twitter.com/4sRylmdKql
— Scheaffer Okore (@scheafferoo) February 20, 2019
In USA, student loan debt is at $1.5 trillion i.e. Kshs. 150+ trillion. Therefore, the student loan debt in Kenya is sustainable, so HELB should calm down.
(Applying the comparison excuse GoK normally uses when Kenyans complain about rising public debt.)
— Wambui (@Waambui) February 20, 2019
Screw HELB and the Police! You want to hunt down unemployed masses to recover loan? It’s JUST 7.2bn, write it off and charge it to NYS I, NYS II, Eurobond or Afya House. https://t.co/Ugjlxb19zP
— Chris (@Ngaruthi) February 20, 2019
Hahaha. HELB to partner with the police to track down defaulters? This is the biggest joke I have heard this far. You want to hunt down unemployed youth to recover loan?
Who is the bright spark behind these ideas? Write off the loan. I mean billions more were lost to corruption!— Ahmed Mohamed ((ASMALi)) (@Asmali77) February 20, 2019
I welcome the directive by Amina to track down HELB defaulters in a country where 60%+ of graduates are jobless.
Infact, I suggest they save the tracking funds & just announce the prisons for the youth to go, at least they’ll be guaranteed free meals in jail & no worries.
— Kenya West© (@KinyanBoy) February 20, 2019
Hey Amina is it possible to Just tell us the prisons you want the youths to Go to because of HELB?
Instead of wasting government resources to arrest us! Atleast some jobless graduates will be sure of 3 meals a day and place to sleep.— Moseax ?? (@Moseax) February 20, 2019
HELB is now looking for 74k beneficiaries who have not paid back,
Someone tell Amina some of them can’t even pay their rent,
Good morning China please start hunting Kenya too we must meet in those cells ???— Bevalyne Kwamboka (@bevalynekwambo) February 20, 2019
