The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) is now walking back on its CEO’s bold declaration to use police officers and chiefs to chase loan defaulters. In an embarrassing turnaround, the Board is distancing itself from what many Kenyans called an “intimidation campaign.” Just 24 hours after Geoffrey Monari told Parliament of plans to involve law enforcement in recovering loans, HELB now says that message was misunderstood and misrepresented. This confusion shows just how lost the agency is when it comes to finding a fair, effective way to recover its billions. HELB has a right to ask for its money back. But it also has a duty to do it with integrity, fairness, and transparency. When it speaks from both sides of its mouth, the entire purpose of the fund comes into question. [Photo: Courtesy] HELB Using Police to Recover Loans Triggers Public Confusion and Fury Kenyans are angry. And rightly so. For days, the nation believed HELB was ready to unleash law enforcement officers, chiefs, and possibly even security agencies on graduates who haven’t paid their loans. The message, delivered by none other than HELB CEO Geoffrey Monari, was crystal clear: defaulters will face serious consequences.
While addressing the National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee, Monari laid out an aggressive plan to rescue the Board’s strained finances. He claimed that thousands of beneficiaries were refusing to repay their loans despite holding stable jobs—some even working abroad. His solution? Team up with police and track them down.
“This is not just about finance,” Monari said during the session. “It’s about fostering a sense of responsibility and patriotism among those who have benefited from the fund.”
That was Thursday. By Saturday, HELB had reversed course. The new official statement reads more like a plea than a warning: “HELB is not sending law enforcement officers after loan defaulters. This is a call to your heart, not your fear.” Suddenly, HELB was pushing a different message altogether—one that speaks of brotherhood, patriotism, and lifting others up. It even described loan repayment as a “chance to help another Kenyan learn, grow, and rise.”
This shift left Kenyans scratching their heads. How can an agency change tone so drastically in just two days? And why did it allow its CEO to make such loaded statements in the first place? Inconsistent Messaging Exposes a Broken Strategy This isn’t just poor communication—it’s a symptom of a deeper problem. HELB is clearly struggling to balance the need to recover loans with the risk of alienating the very citizens it’s meant to support.
One day they are threatening arrests. The next, they are appealing to emotions. Monari’s comments in Parliament were not made off the cuff. They were part of a prepared presentation before a powerful House committee.
He outlined plans to work with local law enforcement to identify and target borrowers. He spoke of tracing graduates abroad who are comfortably employed but silent on repayment.
Then, just as Kenyans prepared for the worst, HELB shifted its tone completely—calling the initial reports fake and denying any intention to use force or fear.
This flip-flop exposes HELB’s lack of a clear, structured loan recovery framework. It’s throwing ideas at the wall to see what sticks. But in doing so, it's damaging trust, credibility, and public goodwill. Why HELB Using Police is the Wrong Move Using law enforcers to collect education loans is not only extreme, it’s inefficient. Kenya has over a million HELB beneficiaries, and tracking each one manually—especially those outside the country—is nearly impossible. Law enforcement resources are limited and needed elsewhere, not chasing white-collar defaulters.
More importantly, such tactics undermine the spirit of the HELB program. This was never meant to be a predatory institution. It was designed to empower poor students with access to higher education. Threats of police action make the program look like a trap—generous when you’re broke, ruthless when you’re trying to get back on your feet.
Instead of weaponizing fear, HELB should be investing in smarter strategies: Better digital tracking of borrowers through tax and employment databases. Public campaigns that celebrate repayment success stories. Flexible repayment plans tied to income levels. Partnerships with employers to facilitate direct deductions. These options are not only more humane—they’re more likely to yield long-term results. If HELB wants Kenyans to pay their loans, it needs to stop acting like a collection agency and start behaving like a public institution rooted in national development. The country is watching.