The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) has refuted claims of a nationwide student loan disbursement, urging students and parents to ignore misleading information shared online.

In a notice on Wednesday, February 4, 2026, HELB said a forged letter claimed to have been authored by Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba falsely stated that Ksh9.46 billion had been released to over 300,000 students, sparking widespread confusion on social media platforms.

“Please note that student upkeep disbursement has been ongoing as institutions reopen. Students are advised to rely only on official HELB communication platforms for accurate and up-to-date information,” the board said.

The fraudulent notice falsely indicated that Ksh5.76 billion had been allocated for tuition fees and Ksh3.7 billion for student upkeep, figures that HELB says are entirely inaccurate.

The board reaffirmed that student upkeep funds are being released as universities resume operations, adding that verified HELB channels remain the only source of official updates.

It also called on graduates who benefited from the loans to repay them, allowing more students to benefit from the scheme.

Towards the end of 2025, HELB intensified its loan recovery efforts by engaging private sector employers, a move that led to a noticeable increase in repayments among defaulters.

HELB Chief Executive Officer Geoffrey Monari identified private sector professionals, including accountants, doctors, lawyers and engineers, as the leading defaulters, triggering tougher recovery measures.

He observed that many graduates entering private practice tend to postpone loan repayment, contributing to a growing number of beneficiaries who fail to settle their obligations long after completing their studies.

HELB records show that only 11 per cent of accountants who benefited from the loans are currently repaying, translating to 2,420 active accounts out of 20,420, with nearly 18,000 remaining in default.

Doctors are among the most prominent defaulters, with only 18 per cent repaying their HELB loans. Of the 11,501 practising doctors, just 2,115 are currently making repayments, while 51,594 graduates who completed their studies more than two decades ago still owe a combined Ksh8 billion. Similar trends are evident among lawyers and engineers.

Of the more than 23,000 lawyers funded by HELB, only 2,644 have repaid their loans. In engineering, just 1,594 of the 24,803 beneficiaries have completed repayment, with only 894 actively servicing their loans, leaving the vast majority in default.