How to repay, step by step
These are the USSD steps on HELB's repayment page:
- Dial *642# on the line registered to your HELB account and log in.
- Select Loan Repayment, then Mpesa.
- Enter the amount you want to pay.
- Enter your M-PESA PIN when the prompt appears on your phone. eCitizen and HELB then send SMS confirmations. Keep them, and the M-PESA code, until the payment shows on your HELB statement.
HELB's page also lists the HELB app and the self-service portal at hef.co.ke as routes to the same gateway. Whichever you use, you never need to type a paybill number yourself.
What about paybill 200800?
Paybill 200800 still works. We paid it on 19 October 2026 and the M-PESA confirmation screen showed HELB. Use your national ID number as the account. HELB's current repayment page does not name 200800 and points borrowers to eCitizen instead. If you use 200800, keep the M-PESA code and confirm the payment appears on your HELB statement. If it does not, send HELB the code, or use the eCitizen route next time.
When repayment starts
HELB's repayment page says repayment starts within one year of completing your studies, or within such other period as the Board decides, whichever is earlier. If you are employed, HELB's FAQ says you should inform your employer so they start monthly check-off deductions from your salary.
Interest and charges
- Interest: 4% a year on undergraduate loans, according to HELB.
- Ledger fee: KSh 1,000 a year.
- M-PESA charge: the normal paybill charge for the amount applies on the M-PESA side.
HELB does not publish a standard monthly repayment on its FAQ: it says to contact HELB for a billing schedule. Ask for one in writing rather than guessing an amount.
Penalties
- On you: HELB's FAQ says that for each month that remains unpaid you pay a fine of not less than KSh 5,000.
- On your employer: a 5% penalty per month on any deduction made from your pay that is not remitted to HELB. If your payslip shows HELB deductions but your HELB statement does not, that is your employer's problem to fix, and the payslip is your evidence.
Unpaid HELB loans can also be reported to credit reference bureaus, which affects your ability to borrow elsewhere. If you are behind, the appeal and restructure guide and the settlement guide explain the options.
Checking your balance
Your HELB portal account and *642# show your balance. Our balance check guide has the steps.
If a payment does not reflect
- Find the M-PESA SMS and keep the transaction code.
- Check how you paid. A *642# or app repayment is tied to your HELB account by the gateway; a payment to paybill 200800 depends on the ID number you typed, and a wrong digit there is the usual reason it does not attach to your loan.
- Contact HELB through the channels on helb.co.ke with the M-PESA code, your name and your ID number. Our payment not reflecting guide covers the follow-up.
Paying from abroad
HELB's FAQ gives a direct bank route: account name HELB, account number 300 040 012, Citibank Nairobi, SWIFT code CITIKENA. Keep the bank confirmation. HELB's repayment page also has a diaspora section; check it for any other account before you send. Alternatively, send money to your own M-PESA and use the *642# route above.
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