Ruto Vows To Personally Deal With HELB For Failing To Disburse Funds By Friday
The Head of State assured the students that their pending allocations would be disbursed by the end of this week.
Marvin Chege 
President William Ruto has warned of consequences to those charged with releasing government funding through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) to support thousands of students in tertiary institutions.
Speaking on the third day of his four-day working tour of Nairobi County at PC Kinyanjui TTI in Dagoretti on Wednesday, March 12, the Head of State assured the students that their pending allocations would be disbursed by the end of this week.
Ruto mentioned that he had significant discussions with Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, during which they agreed on a structured plan to guarantee the prompt release of funds.
At the same time, the President issued a warning to those in charge of disbursement, stating that if the funds are not released by Friday, he will personally hold them accountable.
Kenyans at HELB offices. /FILE
"Today, the Head of Public Service is handling the matter, and I have instructed them to ensure that the money reaches the students' accounts by Friday so that everyone can have their resources.
"If that money has not been reflected in your accounts by then, you can reach out to me. There are people I will have to hold responsible for the same," he announced.
"There has been a problem with HELB. Yesterday, I had a meeting with the CS in charge to address the challenges that had been affecting the system," he added.
In the past, delays in disbursing funds to students have triggered protests, with university students taking to the streets to urge the government to take action.
On February 3, a section of Thika Road became impassable as Kenyatta University students staged demonstrations demanding the release of the funds. The protesting students blocked both sides of the busy highway, disrupting traffic near the university.
Meanwhile, University of Nairobi students marched to the HELB headquarters at Anniversary Towers, demanding clarity on when their allocations would be disbursed.
On September 17, 2024, Multimedia University students protested the delayed disbursement of their loans by HELB, an institution with an important role in financing higher education for Kenyan students.
Each year, HELB provides financial support to around 180,000 students across different institutions, with successful loan applicants receiving between Ksh 35,000 and Ksh 60,000 annually.
