National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi has asked President William Ruto to stop his plan to abolish the HELB loans.
In a statement on his Twitter account on Wednesday January 4, Wandayi warned Ruto that the Azimio camp will initiate nationwide demonstrations should he move to scrap the HELB loans.
“As President responds to concerns our raised December 31, Azimio reminds him that high school parents won’t accept anything less than a return to school fees subsidy, a disbursement to HELB to facilitate students loans, and that all trained teachers be absorbed in January 2023,” Wandayi tweeted.
Wandayi asserted that the Azimio La Umoja will return to consultative meetings to rally parents against President William Ruto’s decision.
“We will return to Kamukunji Grounds, should President William Ruto fail to restore school fee subsidies,” Wandayi stated.
The ODM MP remarked that the school fee subsidy assisted many parents who had lost their jobs or were struggling to put food on the table.
He further urged parents and students to protest the elimination of the program.
President William Ruto had on January 1 announced plans to abolish the HELB body 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,”
“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.” Ruto announced.
Also Read: Azimio Leaders Gang Up Against William Ruto’s Plan to Abolish HELB
