A day after
reports went viral that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) will be
publishing name of loan defaulters since 1975, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino has
dared the board that he will not pay his loan worth Ksh.800000.
In a phone
call to Milele FM morning show by Alex and Jalas, the embattled MP said Kenyan
students have a right like other state officers, to be trained and given jobs.
“Just like
police officers are trained, then employed by the government, so should Kenyan students…
students play a major role in our economy by providing professional services
such as nursing, teaching and many more,” Mr. Owino said.
The MP said
he offer no one apologies over his remarks since he is expressing “my democratic
rights through politics.”
He said that
the government promised free primary and secondary education and university
should be free, adding that Kshs 40,000 is not sufficient for a normal
university student.
“We are not in politics to fight with one
another, but to express our feelings democratically. Just as the government
provide for free primary and secondary education, University education should
also b free,” added the MP.
The
legislator, in another interview on KTN, said that he cannot use his salary to
pay HELB, since it goes to needy students in Embakasi East constituency.
“My
salary is used to pay school fees for my constituents. I do not receive any
money as I have a contract with the needy people in my constituency,”
Owino said.
HELB gave an
ultimatum of 30 day notice for loan defaulters since 1975, saying thos who will
not have complied will be published in the list of shame.
“Please take
note that names and photos of loan beneficiaries who have defaulted repayment
of the loans from 1975 will be published in the leading newspapers after expiry
of 30 days from the date of this notice,” read the notice in part.
The board
said that, more than 80, 000 Kenyans have failed to remit a total of a Sh50
billion loan.
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