Law Schools in Limbo as CLE Reviews Expired Licences at Major Universities
CLE flags universities whose law licenses expired in December. University of Nairobi and Moi University await renewal approval
Several universities offering law programmes are facing uncertainty after their licences expired in December, according to a notice by the Council for Legal Education (CLE).
Among the affected institutions are the University of Nairobi and Moi University. Their licences to run law schools lapsed on December 10, 2025, and renewal approvals are yet to be completed.
The two universities submitted their renewal requests in November, but the Council says the process is ongoing.
In a notice dated December 31, 2025, CLE Chief Executive Officer Prof Jack Mwimali confirmed that the University of Nairobi’s application is still under review, pending an audit and inspection by the Council.
Chuka University has also been listed after its licence expired on the same date.
Although the institution paid the renewal fee in April last year, CLE noted that it has not yet submitted all the required documents to support the renewal process.
Two private universities based in Kajiado County are also waiting for approval.
UMMA University applied for licence renewal in September 2025 and is scheduled for an audit on January 20. African Nazarene University submitted its application in November and is still awaiting inspection by the Council.
CLE confirmed that four universities are fully approved to offer Master of Laws (LLM) programmes.
These are Mt Kenya University, the Catholic University of East Africa, Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, and Strathmore School of Law.
Four institutions currently hold valid licences to run Diploma in Law courses.
They include the Kenya School of Law, Kisii University, the Catholic University of East Africa, and Mt Kenya University.
The Council also listed 16 universities that meet all requirements to offer Bachelor of Laws degrees.
These include Egerton University, Kabarak University, Strathmore University, Maseno University, Kenyatta University, Daystar University, Riara University, Kisii University, Mt Kenya University, JKUAT, the Catholic University of East Africa, the University of Embu, Zetech University, Tom Mboya University, Tharaka University, and South Eastern University of Kenya.
Under the Legal Education Act, the Council for Legal Education is responsible for licensing institutions that offer legal training.
The law also requires the Council to publish a list of compliant universities in the Kenya Gazette and a national daily to guide students and the public.
