06/08/2026
News
HELB to be dissolved if new education Bill becomes law
The Julius Ogamba-led Ministry of Education is seeking to abolish the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) and other state funding agencies under sweeping reforms contained in a new education Bill currently before Parliament.
The proposed changes emerged during a consultative review by the National Assembly’s Education Committee, chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly, which on Thursday, August 6, 2026, concluded its examination of education reform Bills arising from the Report of the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform.
According to a statement released by Parliament, Principal Secretaries and senior officials from the Ministry of Education briefed lawmakers on the key proposals contained in the Bills.
HELB merger plan explained
Presenting before the committee, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Higher Education Beatrice Inyangala said the proposed Tertiary Education Placement and Funding Bill seeks to establish a comprehensive legal framework for student placement and funding
The proposed Kenyan higher education reforms reshape student financing through five main changes:
Elimination of Scholarships: Replaces government grants with a 100% loan model.
Higher Student Debt: Projected individual graduate debt could reach Ksh 1.2 million.
Agency Merger: Combines HELB and the Universities Fund into one single authority.
Loan Securitisation: Pools existing student debt to raise immediate operational capital.
Strict Enforcement: Caps repayments at 25% of earnings while expanding recovery powers.