“It is a requirement that in order to qualify for most public offices, one must get a clearance certificate from Helb. I encourage the private sector to adopt this practice in order to motivate all those who may not be servicing their loans to do so,” President Kibaki said.

He urged universities to supplement Government efforts to avail higher education by raising funds for bursaries, scholarships and establishing financial schemes to enhance access to tertiary education.

President Kibaki, who was speaking in Kisumu during the award of a charter to the Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Gluk, said there was need for the universities across the country to support the building of a new country by developing selfless, honest and transformational leaders, who have the interests of the nation at heart.

Admit more

“We will shortly be upgrading thirteen of the constituent colleges into fully fledged universities so as to increase public universities in the country from seven to twenty,” President Kibaki said. Kibaki added that some of the new universities would be dedicated to science and technology so as to meet the development needs captured by Vision 2030 and the Constitution.

The Nation reports that during the function, Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar, said there was need to expand institutions of higher learning so as to absorb more students, most of whom are usually left out by the Joint Admission Board, JAB. Kamar noted that out of the 400,000 students who sat for KCSE in 2011, JAB absorbed 41,879, leaving out over 76,377 students who attained c+ and above. She asked universities to start 24-hour learning programmes so that those interested in higher education are not left out.