Some of the former Kisii University, Eldoret Campus students have dismissed the directive issued by the Higher Education Loans Board, through Education CS Amina Mohamed that all loan defaulters be arrested by police.
Speaking to this writer in Eldoret town on Friday, the disappointed graduates pleaded with the government to give the beneficiaries more time to organize themselves and secure jobs before pursuing them to forcibly pay back their loans.
“The Education CS was unfair in making those sentiments, I graduated last year and I have not yet secured a job. So, how am I going to pay my HELB loan of Sh234,500? That will be messy, it needs urgent intervention from the relevant authorities,” said Naomy Sang, a journalism graduate from Kisii University, Eldoret Campus.
Edward Kosut, another journalism graduate from the same Campus dismissed Ambassador Amina’s directive to arrest HELB loan defaulters. He argued that the Education Ministry should push the government to create employment opportunities for thousands of jobless Kenyans, instead of thinking about that 'ill act'.
“That idea of HELB using the police to forcefully source money from loan defaulters is impunity because it is not that the defaulters have refused to pay, but it is due to the harsh economic status caused by lack of jobs. I support my colleagues here by saying the government should instead put in place appropriate structures to create employment opportunities for the thousands of graduates who flood the job market yearly,” said Eugene Mkallah, a Business Administration graduate from Kisii University, Eldoret Campus.
There is tension across the country since the CS made the announcement leading to lots of reactions from various stakeholders including the graduates themselves.
During the Senate's proceedings on Thursday afternoon, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula accused the Education CS Amina Mohamed and the HELB's administration of making life hard for Kenyan graduates.
Wetangula said the CS should immediately withdraw the statement and apologize to the jobless Kenyan graduates.
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