How Kenyans Humourously Fired Back at HELB Loan’s Threat to Publish Names and Photos of Loan Defaulters

Kenyans Online will leave you with cracked ribs in the manner they fired back at the Higher Education Loans Board HELB after posting a threat notice to publish names and pictures of over 85,000 loan payment defaulters.

The State owned Parastatal established in 1995, angered KOT (Kenyans on Twitter) and Facebook users when it posted a notice titled Publishing Names and Pictures of University Loan defaulters.

November 2019 HELB Loan Defaulters notice

In the notice, HELB reminded the general public and loan defaulters that the HELB student loan is a government debt, and should be repaid as per the terms and conditions on which it was given.

Read Also:

HELB further warned the loan’s beneficiaries who have defaulted servicing their loans, and have not responded to HELB’s earlier communications, that action will be taken against them.

How the HELB Notice Amused Kenyans

What amused Kenyans most is the 4th paragraph of the notice which states and I quote:

“Please take note that the names and pictures o HELB loan beneficiaries who have defaulted repayment of the loan from 1975 to date shall be published in leading newspapers after expiry of 30 days from the date of this notice…”

In addition to publishing names and pictures in the media, HELB promises to further take legal action against each defaulter as provisioned by the corporations’ Act.

Read Also:

The HELB notice ends with advising the loan beneficiaries not servicing their loans to do the following:

  1. They should contact HELB to inquire about their loan accounts and other particulars through the provided email address dru@helb.co.ke .
  2. They can confirm their loan status online, via phone, and using the HELB app. To check the loan status online visit the loanee Portal website on the link www.helb.co.ke.

    On phone the beneficiaries can use the USSD Code *642# or simply via the HELB app which can be download free of charge from the Google Playstore for android users.

  3. To check on the loan repayment options availed at www.helb.co.ke/repay-loan.

For the sake of our readers, check below this post for the summary of available HELB loan payment options, procedures, and other general HELB details.

How Kenyans on Twitter (KOT) Fired Back On HELB after the Notice

Being a lively and funny nation, Kenyans made humour out of the much publicized HELB Notice. Below are posts on how Kenyans responded;

,I don’t know why people are scared of HELB tuko 85,000 defaulters! With that number tunaweza form SACCO ama Union… We aint paying shitt! @Pinngponng.

If HELB publishes names and photos of young people trying to eke a living in a destroyed economy, we will protest loudly. We will even go to court for such an abuse of the rights of Kenyans who are just struggling. Helb is going to push more Kenyans into depressiong and suicide. @RoberAlai

Read Also: 

Naom Kemunto’s Response to HELB Loan notice: ‘You will be appearing on newspaper courtesy of HELB, you should be greatful…’

You will be appearing on the newspaper courtesy of HELB, You should be greatful that they have given you an opportunity to be on a newspaper. @NaomKemunto5

2019 govt writes off 24.2bn KQ loan. 2016 govt writes off 2.4bn loan owed by coffee farmers, Kirinyaga. 2013 govt writes off 40bn loan owed by Sugar Milling cartels. 2019 Kenyan govt publishes NAMES AND PICTURES OF ALL UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES WHO HAVE NOT REPAID HELB LOANS! @mwalimu_dida

Read Also: List of Secondary Schools on Spot for Dismissing BOM Teachers to Avoid Paying Nov-Dec Salaries

Actually we should send our latest photos to the email they provided. HELB should have the latest photos. @Keyzyb

I HELB is going to help me be a star like young thug #HELB. @onchiri_tyson

The government spends billions in HELB to educate young people then employ old people as young ones languish in poverty, and then now want to arm-twist them with bogus threats. Go ahead, the youth will soon eat you as they have nothing to eat. @BelAkinyii

How do you expect a comrade without any source of income to repay the HELB loan by scaring them to publish their images after 30 days, this some kind of dumb*#**#. Give them jobs, they’ll pay the loan ASAP! @bennetowuonda

HELB to publish the name of loan defaulters is just a mere threat. We need to hear something like mass slaughter of loan defaulters.

HELB Can I at least send you the photo to be used for your publication? I have to look good. @the_enigma_gene

85k mna owe HELB sh.50bn hiyo ni kama 90 million each. You all blew all this mad cash in your campus years? @kuria_mapesa

HELB should benchmark with TALA, Branch, Mpesa who text, call daily with threats even with CRB na Kenyans give zero f*#ks. Go ahead and publish. @BelAkinyii

#HELB yawa, you give sh. 150K and immediately after school you start fining him 5K per month? Does that encourage him to pay the loan? HELB is another scam in KENYA. @mukhebisimiyu.

The president and his deputy promised 1 million jobs per year will be created. Let him award the 85,000 HELB defaulters jobs, then deduct the loans. 85K is a very little number of jobs to someone that promised a million jobs per year. Threats don’t work in the 21st century. @kenfish.

Read Also: 

Procedure on How to make HELB Payment, HELB Payment Options and HELB Account Payment Details

The payment options are classified into two: Local, and Diaspora Repayment Methods

HELB Local Repayment Methods

Beneficiaries can use the MPESA Mobile Payment Services.

Use Lipa na Mpesa pay bill option: Enter HELB business number as 200800, then your national ID number as account number and then the amount you want to pay

Bank Deposit as an Alternative

Other than mobile payment, beneficiaries can make payment using cash deposit, crossed cheque, direct transfer/standing order/EFT or bankers draft to HELB collection A/C in any of the following banks:

  • Equity bank, A/C no: 055 029 357 3408, Equity Center branch, and SWIFT CODE : EQBLKENA
  • Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), A/C no: 1103 266 314, University-way branch, and SWIFT CODE : KCBLKENX
  • Barclays bank, A/C no: 077 501 8216, Barclays Plaza branch, SWIFT CODE : BARCKENX
  • Citibank, A/C no: 300 040 012, Nairobi branch, SWIFT CODE : CITIKENA
  • Family Bank, A/C no: 035 000 024 971, Family Bank Towers branch, SWIFT CODE : FABLKENAXXX
  • National Bank of Kenya, A/C no: 010 016 039 1100, Harambee Avenue branch, SWIFT CODE :NBKEKENX
  • Jamii Bora Bank, A/C no: 1174 852 7001, Koinange street branch, SWIFT CODE : CIFIKENAXXX
  • Co-operative Bank, A/C no: 011290 612 228 00, University-way branch, SWIFT CODE : KCOOKENA
  • NCBA Bank Kenya, A/C no: 1002 247 638, NIC House branch, SWIFT CODE : CBAFKENX
  • Standard chartered Bank, A/C no: 010 801 826 4700, Koinange street branch, SWIFT CODE : SCBLKENX
  • SBM Bank, A/C no: 0332 084 215 001, Delta House branch, SWIFT CODE : SBMKENA

Diaspora HELB Repayment Methods

Wave

From the US and Canada HELB beneficiaries can make payment through Wave via KCB account number 1103266314.

Visit www.sendwave.com to get the app to make payment transfers instantly, after which the beneficiary should forward the wave email notification and National ID number to OnlinePayments@helb.co.ke

 World Remit

Visit World Remit Website www.worldremit.com and choose ‘Bank Deposit’ service from the blue ‘Send to’ box. Fill in recipient’s details KCB ACCOUNT NUMBER 1103266314

Pay using a credit or debit card and use your national ID number as the reference.

You will receive notification through SMS and email. Forward the email notification your national ID NUMBER to OnlinePayments@helb.co.ke

HELB Loanee Obligations You Should Know

All HELB loan beneficiaries are advised to start loan repayment after one year on completion of studies, or within such a period as the Board may decide to recall the loan whichever is the earlier (Section 15 HELB Act).

Paying back the loans early, HELB advices reduces the financial burden in midlife. Especially, when bringing up a family, or when about to plan for the retirement.

Advantages of paying the HELB loans According to HELB

  • Easy access to other bank loans by not being blacklisted by Credit Reference Bureau (CRB)
  • Peace of Mind.

HELB Loanee’s obligation under the HELB Act

  • Inform the HELB about your contacts as outlined in HELB Act, section 15 (a)
  • Begin loan repayment including the accrued interest thereon as provisioned in HELB Act, Section 15(b) .
  • Facilitate Loan Remittance and deduction to HELB as per HELB Act, section 15 (c).


Read Also Other Posts:

HELB