Kenyans took to social media to mock the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) after it threatened to name and shame loan defaulters.
In a notice, Helb gave loan defaulters a 30-day deadline to make repayments failure to which it will publish their names and photos in the newspapers.
“Please take note that the names and pictures of Helb loan beneficiaries who have defaulted repayment of the loan from 1975 to date shall be published in the leading newspapers after the expiry of 30 days from the date of this notice,” read part of the statement.
At least 85,000 recipients have failed to service loans amounting to Sh50 billion issued since 1975, according to the agency.
“HELB wishes to notify the general public and loan defaulters that the HELB student loan is a government debt which should be repaid as per the terms and conditions on which it was advanced.”
Kenyans on Twitter laughed off Helb’s threat saying they are even ready to send their latest photos to the State body.
@Emmah017 stated: “Are we allowed to submit our latest photos to HELB? I think the one I took earlier wasn’t clear ?? Can’t wait to appear in the newspaper.”
@africanqueenmum wrote: “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 cartels. 2019 Kenyan Govt publishes NAMES AND PICS OF UNEMPLOYED GRADUATES WHO HAVE NOT REPAID HELB LOANS!”
@VictorMochere tweeted: “Kenya has defaulted multiple loans, and here comes HELB threatening to publish our pictures on newspapers. Our pictures are all over social media and the internet. We have survived mercury in sugar, aflatoxin, plastic rice, police brutality, and HELB thinks they can threaten us.”
@kamau893 posed: “What will HELB gain by printing names and photos of defaulters? 85,000 Kenyans are taking aflatoxin daily and you think names on a paper can scare them?”
@millionaires_KE quipped: “Dear Helb, Loan Principal: 80,000; Loan repaid: 121,560; Loan balance: 583,686. Now tell me who’s supposed to be printing who’s name and pic?”
@BravinYuri said: “HELB thinks posting our faces as defaulters is scary. We survived mercury Sugar, Sodium Metabisulphite, we are currently on aflatoxin doses and you all think a Photo of me on a newspaper is scary. Kenya itself is a loan defaulter. Pambaneni na hali yenu polepole.”
