President Ruto To Abolish HELB, Offers An Alternative Funding Body

President William Ruto, while ushering New Year at State House, Mombasa, announced that his government has been planning to abolish the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) that has undoubtedly sustained millions of university students for decades. 

The President has however said that he had sought to provide a better alternative to address the many challenges university students face. 

Additionaly, he announced that the government will efface the Technical and Vocational Educational Education and Training(TVET) funding.

“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 President announced.

Ruto went on to reveal that the proposed NSFC will be way better than HELB as it will increase funding by up to 45 per cent.

“The new body will double the current HELB funds from Ksh11 billion to Ksh22 billion. NSFC will further mobilize grants, bursaries, and scholarships from private and public sponsors to cover non-tuition costs,” he added.

Ruto’s decision was based on the report compiled by the task force set to review the Competency Based Curriculum.

HELB is a statutory body that was established in July 1995 by an Act of Parliament, ‘Higher Education Loans Board Act’ Cap 213A.

It is mandated to provide funding for Kenyan university students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses in East African universities recognized by Commission for University Education.