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HELB answers: Here is the minimum amount you can pay towards your loan each month
27th August, 2026 08:43 AM
Kenyans repaying their HELB loans “mdogo mdogo” or in instalments now have a clear figure to work with.
Responding to a borrower on X on August 26, 2026, the Higher Education Loans Board confirmed that anyone settling the loan through instalments should pay a minimum of Ksh1,500 every month.
HELB has long applied the Ksh1,500 floor to borrowers who are not on formal payroll deduction, whether unemployed, self-employed, or running a side hustle. The amount keeps the loan account active and moving, even when income is irregular.
What the law says about repayment
The obligation to repay does not begin with a job offer. It begins with time. The Higher Education Loans Board Act, Cap 213A, requires that a loanee start repayment “within one year of completion of his studies” or whenever the Board recalls the loan, whichever comes first.
Employment status does not pause this clock. Once that grace period lapses, the loan is due, and the borrower carries the responsibility of keeping HELB informed, whether through formal work, self-employment, or no income at all.
How the Ksh1,500 minimum works
For borrowers without payroll deduction, Ksh1,500 monthly is the smallest amount HELB will accept as a good-faith instalment.
It will not clear a loan on its own, especially with interest accruing at 4 per cent a year, but it keeps the account in order and reduces the risk of penalties and a negative listing with the Credit Reference Bureau.
Borrowers in formal employment follow a different path. Their repayment comes off their salary automatically through their employer, calculated as a percentage of pay rather than a flat minimum, so the Ksh1,500 figure mainly applies to those managing repayment on their own.
Payments can be made through the HELB portal, eCitizen, or the HELB Paybill number via M-Pesa. Borrowers who want to clear their loan faster and cut down on accruing interest can pay more than the minimum at any time.
The Ksh1,500 is simply the lowest amount that keeps a HELB account compliant, not a target to aim for.
