- Parents have called on HELB and the Ministry of Interior to ease ID verification hurdles facing first-year students applying for loans.
- A parent has raised concerns after her daughter’s HELB application was blocked despite holding a valid National ID, requiring physical verification in Nairobi.
- Parents have urged HELB to establish a digital verification mechanism and offer alternative verification options at Huduma Centres closer to students’ homes
Parents preparing to send their children to university are raising concerns over bureaucratic hurdles affecting first-year students seeking government financial assistance through the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).
One parent has called on HELB and the Ministry of Interior to urgently review the process for verifying newly issued National Identity cards, saying students are being subjected to unnecessary physical journeys to Nairobi despite having valid government-issued identification documents.
The parent said her daughter began her HELB loan application while waiting for her National ID. After the original ID was issued before the application was submitted, she used the provision on the HELB portal to update her details.
However, the system reportedly returned a message stating that the ID number could not be found and instructed the applicant to email a scanned copy of the ID card to HELB’s contact centre.
The family complied by scanning and sending a copy of the original ID. Instead of resolving the matter digitally, they were advised to visit Nyayo House in Nairobi for ID validation before the student could proceed with her HELB application.
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The requirement has sparked concern among parents, particularly those living far from Nairobi, who say such trips impose additional financial and logistical burdens at a time when families are already struggling to meet university-related expenses.
For students from counties hundreds of kilometres away, travelling to Nairobi for ID verification can mean additional transport costs, possible accommodation expenses and time away from school or work.
The parent questioned why students holding genuine National IDs issued by the government should be required to appear physically at a government office simply to validate their identity.
The concerns come at a time when the government continues to promote digital transformation and the integration of public services.
Parents argue that HELB should be able to establish a secure digital verification mechanism with the relevant government agency responsible for registration and issuance of National IDs.
Such an arrangement, they say, would allow genuine applicants with newly issued identification documents to complete their HELB applications without unnecessary physical visits.
The parent said the current situation risks frustrating first-year students who are already under pressure as they prepare to report to university, purchase essential items and meet other admission requirements.
“Our children should be preparing for their first university lecture, not preparing for a trip to Nairobi to validate an ID that the government itself issued,” the parent said.
The concern also raises broader questions about coordination between government agencies, particularly where digital systems depend on information held by different institutions.
Parents are now calling for HELB and the Ministry of Interior to establish a faster digital verification process for newly issued IDs and ensure that students are not locked out of government funding because of delays in synchronising official records.
They further want the affected students to be given clear alternative procedures that can be completed at Huduma Centres or other government offices closer to their homes where physical verification is unavoidable.
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With thousands of students preparing to join universities for the first time, parents fear that many more applicants could face similar challenges.
They are urging HELB to address the issue before it becomes a widespread barrier to students seeking government financial support.
The affected parent appealed to authorities to treat the matter as an urgent service-delivery issue, saying government funding programmes should reduce barriers for students from needy families rather than create additional hurdles.
By Jeff Kirui
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