William Ruto
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi has raised questions over President William Ruto’s plan to scrap the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and replace it with another body.
In a statement on Tuesday January 3, Wandayi poked holes on the plan arguing that it will affect continuing students that are being financed by the body.
“As you disband HELB, what happens to the poor university students who are due to report for their new semester this month? Do they also defer their studies for six months, which is historic?” Wandayi questioned.
Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino on the other hand has asked the Head of State to cease the government’s plan to abolish the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
“Ruto, HELB wachana nayo Kabisa. Comrades are poor & only education will save them from the york of poverty. For we live in an hour of change & challenge, decade of hope & fear, in an age of both knowledge and ignorance. The greater our knowledge increases the greater our ignorance unfolds,” Babu Owino said.
Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly Robert Alai also faulted the move arguing that it is a plan by the Ruto government to stop funding public universities.
“They won’t fund public universities and they will abolish HELB?” Alai questioned.
President William Ruto had on January 1 stated that he will abolish HELB and replace it with the National Skill and Funding Council (NSFC).
“In the last four months I have been in office, I have laid a perfect groundwork that will transform the country’s tertiary education system. Instead of different funding systems, the government will establish the National Skill and Funding Council (NSFC) that will amalgamate the existing funding bodies,” Ruto announced.
Adding that “The new body will double the current HELB funds from Ksh 11 billion to Ksh 22 billion.NSFC will further mobilize grants, bursaries, and scholarships from private and public sponsors to cover non-tuition costs.”
Also Read: President Ruto To Abolish HELB and Replace it With NSFC
