74,000 HELB defaulters to be tracked down - CS Amina

Education CS Amina Mohamed at travelers beach hotel in Mombasa/FILE
Education CS Amina Mohamed at travelers beach hotel in Mombasa/FILE

Some 74,000 HELB defaulters will now be tracked down by law enforcement agencies, Education CS Amina Mohamed has declared.

She said graduates

will be traced through their workplaces.

Amina spoke on Wednesday when she launched HELB's five-year strategic plan at a Nairobi hotel.

"We will partner with the agencies to trace the defaulters. We want them to become reliable and responsible citizens by repaying their debts," Amina said.

"This will include tracking graduates working in enterprises such as mobile transfer services like M-Pesa, Airtel Money and other emerging jobs. We hope by doing we will increase the resources that are available to HELB to support others."

The HELB strategic plan 2019/2023 has been aligned to the Big Four Agenda and Vision 2030, the CS said.

"Due to the rapid expansion of higher education, enrollment is now in excess of 795,000 students, providing our country with amazing opportunities. However, there are also significant challenges that still confront this sector," Amina said.

The Ministry of Education is

reviewing the higher education financing policy to make financing more predictable and sustainable.

"Specifically on the university level, the immediate priorities include improving quality and relevance

of university education, conceptualising

a funding model that ensures equity and fairness and financial prudence."

"Optimising good governance is another one, management

and institutional structures to attract and retain adequate and highly qualified human capital especially PhD holders in all disciplines.

HELB is funding 24,252 students in various TVET colleges and the Ministry of Education is engaging treasury and doing it together with HELB to secure more resources to expand the switch.

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