Contractors who have not cleared their Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) loans will not be considered for tenders, Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago has warned.
Speaking in Eldoret Friday after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with HELB aimed at fast-tracking recovery of student loans, Mandago said contractors seeking tenders with his government will only qualify if they have repaid their student loans.
“There is no way you will be earning Sh3million, yet you do not pay your debts,” he said, adding that his government might request for direct loan recovery and remit it to HELB. Mandago said the county had disbursed loans worth Sh60 million to needy students in Eldoret National Polytechnic and Rift Valley Technical Training Institute.
“I urge those who are working to get in touch with our office in order to be assisted to start the repayment process so that others can also benefit,” he said. HELB chief executive officer Charles Ringera said the body is owed Sh8 billion by 85,000 beneficiaries. He disclosed that a system had been put in place to trace beneficiaries working in the diaspora to ensure they repay the loans.
He also expressed concern at the low number of students applying for training in technical training institutions (TTIs). Ringera said out of the 50,000 vacancies slated for learners this year, only 12,000 were filled by students. He advised students to apply for training in the TTIs, adding that funds to train them were available.
“As HELB we are interested in skill gaps in the county and will intervene in supporting the skills required,” he said. The CEO, at the same time, urged students to acquire entrepreneurship skills, saying their demand in the job market was higher.
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