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{
    "id": 429184,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/429184/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 10,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) S.W. Chege",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 884,
        "legal_name": "Sabina Wanjiru Chege",
        "slug": "sabina-wanjiru-chege"
    },
    "content": "Thank you, hon. Deputy Speaker. We have just concluded a meeting which had started at 10.00 a.m. My apologies for walking in a bit late. Pursuant to Standing Order No.44(2)(c) of the National Assembly, the Member for Runyenjes Constituency, hon. Cecily Mbarire, requested for a Statement from our Committee on Education, Research and Technology regarding the online loan application systems failure at Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). I wish to respond to the issues as follows:- HELB introduced the online loan application platform five years ago to replace the manual application process in a bid to enhance service delivery and bring convenience to our clients. It is worth noting that the number of applications received annually for the last five years has always ranged between 40,000 and 90,000 for both first time and subsequent applicants, thus underscoring the success of the new initiative. However, in the 2013/2014 Financial Year, the Board saw unprecedented upshot in the number of applicants from the previous average total of 100,000 to over 170,000. The sharp increase in the numbers and a rush to apply at a relatively short period between the time the Joint Admissions Board (JAB) sent the letters and the time the students were expected to report to the universities meant that all the applicants were attempting to access the online application simultaneously, hence the congestion of the application channel. Secondly, the Board was under “denial service” attack more than once by the same tech savvy students, which kept on paralyzing the operations in August and September, 2013. Despite the challenges and limited resources, the Board moved with speed to contain the situation through the following actions:- (i) Migration of hosting services to an alternative service provider and upgrade of resources to improve the perimeter vulnerability. (ii) The extension of loan application deadline by two months from 31st October to December, 2013 to accommodate the affected applicants. (iii) Fast tracking the development and commissioning of a new application platform to accommodate the growing number of applicants in 2014 and 2015. Through the above interventions, the Board restored the service fully thus enabling the majority of the applicants who needed to apply to access the services, a fact supported by the successful applications realm to 170,000 that were received and processed against a possible maximum of 172,000. The Board has also enhanced interaction level with the students fraternity through the social media outlets like Face book and Twitter, where the students’ complaints and all concerns are responded to instantly, thus creating a positive impact with the student community. The Board also ensures that they will continue according students’ issues top priority and will always welcome any comments raised about its products and services to reach more Kenyans. The Board also will continue to modernize its services through digital outreach that is more effective in reaching students and also face to face interactions through student forums. The Board has also commissioned elaborate linkages with students’ deans in various universities as its first contact in solving students’ issues. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}