Editor's Review

Lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the board’s recovery rate, noting that over KSh15 billion in loans remain in default.

The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has issued a fresh directive on loan repayment, just hours after Members of Parliament raised concerns over the agency’s recovery methods.

In a notice shared via HELB’s official social media platforms on Tuesday, July 15, the board reminded beneficiaries of the available repayment options, saying it had simplified the process to accommodate various lifestyles.

“We have made your HELB loan repayment simple and flexible with multiple options to suit your lifestyle,” the notice read in part.

The communication came shortly after the National Assembly Committee on Education visited HELB for an oversight mission focused on the implementation of the New Higher Education Funding Model (NFM), the agency’s recovery challenges, and the overall budget performance.

During the meeting, lawmakers expressed dissatisfaction with the board’s recovery rate, noting that over KSh15 billion in loans remain in default.

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Committee Chair Julius Melly said MPs had received numerous complaints from Kenyans struggling to navigate the new funding model, particularly the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), which is used to allocate loans and scholarships.

“One of the issues that we want to hear about is the university funding model and the means testing instrument. It is giving Kenyans sleepless nights,” Melly said.

HELB CEO Geoffrey Monari, in his briefing to the committee, disclosed that the board had a total of 1.03 million matured loan accounts. Out of these, 293,122 accounts, valued at KSh33.2 billion—are non-performing.
HELB offices 

Ways to Repay Your HELB Loan;


To address repayment concerns, HELB outlined several payment options.

These include the HELB Employers’ Portal, which facilitates automatic deductions for employed loanees

. Employers are required to deduct loan repayments according to a generated billing schedule and remit them by the 15th of the following month.

Other options include the USSD code *642#, which enables registration and loan certification services, and the HELB mobile app and online portal, which allow for manual repayments and account monitoring.

The new directive seeks to enhance compliance and ease of payment, even as MPs push for a broader conversation on the sustainability and equity of higher education financing in the country.