The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is on the receiving end of brutal attacks on social media after threatening to publish names and pictures of defaulters on local dailies.
HELB issued a statement on Sunday, warning defaulters that they had 30 days to repay their loans or risk having their names and pictures published.
“HELB wishes to notify the general public and loan defaulters that the HELB student loan is a government debt which should be repaid as per the terms and conditions on which it was advanced,” read a notice from the State Corporation.
But angry Kenyans have questioned why the board would take such drastic measures against the unemployed youth who can not only afford to repay the loans but also feed themselves.
If HELB publishes names and photos of young people trying to eke a living in a destroyed economy, we will protest loudly. We will even go to court for such an abuse of the rights of Kenyans who are just struggling.
HELB is going to push more Kenyans into depression and suicide
— Robert Alai (@RobertAlai) November 18, 2019
Former Presidential aspirant Mwalimu Abduba Adida wondered how the government could write-off billions of loans owed by Kenya airways, money he believes to have been stolen, but punish jobless youth.
2019 govt writes off 24.2bn KQ loan.
2016 govt writes off 2.4bn loan owed by coffee farmers, Kirinyaga.
2013 govt writes off 40bn loan owed by Sugar Milling cartels.2019 Kenyan govt publishes NAMES AND PICTURES OF ALL UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES WHO HAVE NOT REPAID HELB LOANS!
— Mwalimu Dida Kinuthia Mwangi (@mwalimu_dida) November 18, 2019
However, it is the reactions from the defaulters that has shocked HELB. Most of the jobless students have no issue with their pictures being published on newspapers because it is the least of their worries.
KCB-MPESA na M-SHWARI are giving us reminders every morning. We are not worried with HELB putting us in the newspapers. In fact I long for a day I will be in the newspaper. I wish to know the date I will shine in the papers. #HELB
— K. Knick (@KnickCPA) November 18, 2019
https://twitter.com/GeorgeMaiyoKE/status/1196323765371777024
https://twitter.com/Denogrant_/status/1196319457242689536
The defaulters have warned HELB that they owe other lenders like Tala and Okash and their threats have never borne fruits.
HELB should benchmark with TALA, Branch, Mpesa who text, call daily with threats even with CRB na Kenyans give zero fucks. Go ahead and publish
— Bel Akinyi (@BelAkinyii) November 18, 2019
Kenyans are currently in an economic crisis due to the high cost of living, lack of jobs. Several companies have also fired workers this year and netizens have warned that publishing names of defaulters could trigger an economic revolution.
When publishing this LIST OF POOR KENYANS, can HELB also make columns showing what they studied, their level of education and where they are employed.
How do you repay a loan when the education is not helping you? It is time to make HELB a grant not a loan. https://t.co/AH0Wfhdl4S
— Mwalimu Dida Kinuthia Mwangi (@mwalimu_dida) November 18, 2019
Some of the students have revealed that the loan didn’t help them achieve anything as it just purchased a cheap music system, they, therefore, won’t pay.
This only happen when you're many, lakini kwa ground vitu itakuwa different #HELB pic.twitter.com/Js3yP0K8Rj
— The DoveKE (@ItsLangatKE) November 18, 2019
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