• Helb disbursed Sh25.9m with a balance of 1.6m still available. the board was also able to recover Sh598,000 from recipients in 2017-18.
• Of those who applied there were 1689 beneficiaries including 1091 male and 598 female.
by JANE CHEROTICH Correspondent, Busia 21 June 2019 - 00:00 HELB CEO Charles Ringera.About 1,000 Helb loan applicants from Busia county who applied in 2017-2018 financial year could finally receive funds after officials from the county and the financier met on Wednesday.
Busia Education Support Scheme and the Higher Education Loans Board signed a service contract in June 2015 that saw the disbursement of Sh27million.
Helb disbursed Sh25.9m with a balance of 1.6m still available. The board was also able to recover Sh598,000 from recipients.
Of those who applied there were 1689 beneficiaries including 1091 male and 598 female.
Helb assistant manager for external resources Jemimah Swanya said they could not process 945 forms for students who applied for loans in the last financial year.
County chief executive for Education John Mwami said the Controller of Budgets had put a stop to subsequent disbursement of the revolving fund until the law was amended.
The controller of budgets wanted an amendment to the 2017 Act to make the County Education Support Scheme Board managers of the fund and the removal of MCAs from the ward education committees.
Swanya said they are still in possession of 945 forms for the 2017-2018 Financial Year which could not be processed.
She said they are ready to disburse the funds as soon as the amended law is in place and funds are released.
County Chief of Staff Sebastian Okiring’ said the governor appreciates the need to align the executive’s activities to the law.
County Assembly Education Committee chair Novena Ndaliro said the meeting agreed to unlock the Helb with the ratification of the service contract.
The top three courses funded by the county are Bachelor of Education (Arts), Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Education (Science).
Nambale has both the highest numbers in terms of students and disbursement at 21 per cent while Budalangi has the lowest number of students at 6 per cent.