Only 26 institutions are licensed to teach law in Kenya, says CLE
The council emphasised that only institutions listed are authorised to offer legal education and that each programme has been evaluated individually.
The government has published a fresh list of 26 institutions licensed to offer legal education in Kenya, marking a decisive move to tighten oversight of law programmes in the country.
The announcement by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) comes at a time when demand for legal education continues to grow, raising concerns over quality and consistency in training.
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In a detailed update issued on Tuesday by the Acting Secretary and CEO of the Council of Legal Education, Jennifer Gitiri, CLE outlined the institutions that are officially accredited to run diploma, undergraduate, and master’s degree programmes in law.
The council emphasised that only institutions listed are authorised to offer legal education and that each programme has been evaluated individually.
“The following are the only licensed Legal Education Providers and Legal Education Programmes in Kenya as indicated under each respective cluster,” she said.
For postgraduate studies, only four universities have been licensed to offer the Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme.
These include Strathmore Law School, with a license valid until April 17, 2030; Mount Kenya University, licensed until March 23, 2026; Catholic University of Eastern Africa, licensed until September 21, 2028; and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, licensed until June 20, 2028.
At the undergraduate level, 18 universities have been cleared to offer the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree.
The University of Nairobi’s Parklands Campus, Moi University, Chuka University, Africa Nazarene University, and UMMA University are among those whose licenses are valid until December 2025.
Strathmore Law School, Maseno University, and South Eastern Kenya University are licensed through November 2027, while others like Riara Law School, Kenyatta University, and JKUAT have approval until 2028.
The latest entrants with licenses valid until April 2029 include Daystar University, University of Embu, Kisii University, and Mount Kenya University’s Parklands Campus.
The license validity periods vary, indicating that the council is closely monitoring performance and compliance over time.
Diploma programmes have also been included in the update, with four institutions approved to offer this level of legal training.
These are the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, Mount Kenya University’s Parklands Campus, Kisii University, and the Kenya School of Law, which offers a diploma in Paralegal Studies.
Their licenses will remain valid until April or November 2029, depending on the institution.
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