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List of Kenyan universities licensed to offer law courses
07th July, 2026 04:35 PM
The government has published an updated list of universities and institutions licensed to offer law programmes in Kenya while also naming several institutions whose applications for licensing or licence renewal remain under review.
In a notice published in the MyGov newspaper on Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) outlined the institutions approved to offer legal education programmes, including the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.), Master of Laws (LL.M.), Diploma in Law and Paralegal Studies.
“Under the provisions of Sections 2, 8 (1) (b), 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 48 of the Legal Education Act Chapter 16B Laws of Kenya, the following are the ONLY licensed Legal Education Providers and Legal Education Programmes in Kenya as indicated under each respective cluster,” CLE stated.
According to the notice, only four universities have been accredited to offer the Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme in Kenya.
These are Kenyatta University School of Law, Strathmore Law School, the Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) Faculty of Law and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) School of Law.
For students seeking to pursue a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree, the council has licensed 16 universities.
They include Umma University, Chuka University, Tharaka University, Zetech University, Tom Mboya University, Daystar University’s Athi River Campus, the University of Embu, Kisii University, Mount Kenya University (Parklands Campus), Riara Law School, Kenyatta University, JKUAT, CUEA, Strathmore University, Maseno University and South Eastern Kenya University.
Meanwhile, the Diploma in Law programme is currently offered at four approved institutions: Mount Kenya University (Parklands Campus), Kisii University, the Kenya School of Law and the Catholic University of Eastern Africa.
Universities awaiting approval
The notice further shows that several institutions have applied for licensing or renewal, but their applications are still under consideration by the Council.
They include Egerton University, Kabarak University, Africa Nazarene University, Moi University, the University of Nairobi (Parklands Campus), Rongo University, Kenya Methodist University and Murang’a University of Technology, all seeking approval or renewal to offer the LL.B. programme.
Mount Kenya University School of Law has also applied for a licence to offer the Master of Laws (LL.M.) programme, with its application pending review.
The updated licensing status means the affected institutions cannot admit students into programmes that have not yet received approval from the Council of Legal Education until the review process is concluded.
CLE is the statutory body mandated to regulate legal education in Kenya by licensing legal education providers, inspecting institutions and ensuring they meet the required standards before offering law programmes.
The council advised prospective students to confirm that their preferred institution has the necessary approval before enrolling in any law programme to avoid joining courses that have not been accredited.
