Gideon Koske, a nominated MP, has proposed amending the Higher Education Loans Board Act to allow students under the age of 18 to acquire loans through their parents as signatories.
The law states, “The board shall not reject an application for a loan under this Act solely on the basis that the student has not reached the age of 18.”
A person who is granted an education loan by Helb must have his or her parents or guardians as co-signatories, according to the draft law, which is slated for First Reading this week.
“This will ensure that university students under the age of 18 who have not yet received their national identification cards can access Helb loans,” Koske added.
“The change will thus ensure that all qualifying university students, regardless of their age, have access to loans,” he added. The legitimacy of the loan agreement is the responsibility of the parents.
However, Koske has an uphill battle in convincing President Uhuru Kenyatta that the revision will not add to the government’s financial burden.
The President vetoed a bill with a similar plan in 2015, following an attempt by then-Kiharu MP Irungu Kang’ata (now a Murang’a senator), citing sustainability concerns.
The President refused to sign the bill, claiming that it would cost the National Treasury a lot of money to keep it running.
He also deleted clauses that allowed graduates who did not find work within a year of finishing their education to be exempt from penalties if they told the board.
Kangata also wanted students to have two seats on the Helb board, but he was unable to achieve the two-thirds majority needed to overturn a president’s veto.
*This article was written by Gerald Gekara for Uzalendo News. Email: uzalendonews24@gmail.com to submit your story.
