Mount Kenya University (MKU) and Strathmore University are the only private institutions licensed to offer Masters in Law.

Council of Legal Education (CLE) Secretary Dr Wambua Kituku said the licencing status for Strathmore and MKU to offer Masters in Law is valid until November 2024 and November 2026, respectively.

“Under provisions of the legal education Act No 27 of 2012, the following is the status of legal education programmes in Kenya as at June 30,” said Kituku, in a public notice that showed the status of all law programmes in the country.

For Bachelors degree programmes, CLE named 12 universities with a valid license to over law, valid for different timelines.

For instance, the Egerton and Kabarak Universities School of Law have their Bachelors programme valid until June 2026.

Africa Nazarene, Chuka, Moi and University of Nairobi School of Law Parklands campuses’ license runs until December 2025, at least at the moment.

Umma University licensing is valid until September 2025 while Kisii and Embu University schools of law are valid until April 2024.

Daystar School of Law Valley Road campus, Mount Kenya and University of Nairobi, Kisumu School of law degree programmes are valid until July 2023.

According to CLE, diploma programmes are valid in only three institutions namely Mount Kenya University, Kisii University school of law and Kenya Institute of Management.

At least 10 universities still have pending application status for their licensing or renewal as legal education providers.

They include Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA), which seeks to offer Bachelors degree in law as well as proposed Masters and diploma programmes.

“The university applied for degree programme renewal licensing in August, 2021. License renewal is in progress. The application is complete and under review,” said Kituku.

For the proposed Masters and diploma programes at CUEA, the application is complete and under review.

Other pending applications are for Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) for Bachelors and proposed Masters, Strathmore University for Bachelors programme, UoN Mombasa School of Law and Kenyatta University School of Law Parklands campus.