The Ministry of Education confirmed the disbursement of Ksh3.2 billion to facilitate the upkeep of first-year and second-year university students under the 2024/2025 academic year.
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba announced on Tuesday evening, a day after the university students held demonstrations demanding the immediate release of the funds, that the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) had released the funds.
In a notice Ogamba indicated that the money was disbursed to students’ accounts with each beneficiary set to receive between Ksh40,000 and Ksh60,000.
“The Government disbursed a total of Ksh3.32 billion by January 31, 2025, for first and second year students during the 2024/2025 Academic Year. The disbursements through the Higher Education Loans Board cover students’ upkeep,” Ogamba announced.
The CS further revealed that the disbursed funds were part of the funds already appropriated in July 2024, in the context of the current Financial Year’s budgetary and appropriation framework.
The disbursement comes hardly two days after students stormed HELB offices at the Anniversary Towers in Nairobi demanding the release of the capitation.
Expressing frustration over the prolonged delay of the capitation, the angry learners overpowered the security guards and attempted to force entry into the HELB offices.
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