Embakasi East Member of parliament known as Babu Owino has hit out at the government after it threatened to use the police force to apprehend Kenyans who have defaulted in repaying their loans from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed on Wednesday said police will be used to follow loan defaulters to their workplaces and be compelled to settle their debts.
Babu Owino has criticised the move saying Education Minister was 'disconnected from the reality of Kenyan life where the majority of graduates are either unemployed or earning peanuts.
"CS Amina’s proposal is similar to a chef using a jembe to cut tomatoes in the kitchen - the wrong tools in the wrong hands can cause a lot of damage!" he said in a statement on Thursday.
The former University of Nairobi (UoN) student leader defended comrades who have failed to honour their financial obligations saying it was due to poverty.
He said instead of government seeking to punish defaulters it should create jobs for them to earn a living and pay their loans.
"Kenyans expect to hear the CS give ideas on how to engage graduates so that they can not only pay their HELB loans but even sponsor extra students to complete their studies," the MP said.
Babu further noted that even the national government had unsettled loans with other foreign countries and therefore it should not force 'comrades' to pay HELB.
"No comrade should pay the HELB LOAN. Kama ya China haijalipwa why should comrades pay? (Why should comrades pay when the Chinese government hasn't been paid?)" the vocal MP tweeted.
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