Law Students at Risk as Universities Operate with Expired Council of Legal Education Licences.

Kenya, January 13 2026 - Concerns are mounting over the status of legal education in Kenya after the Council of Legal Education (CLE) revealed that several universities offering Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programmes are operating with expired licences or pending renewals, potentially placing thousands of law students in a precarious position.

In a public notice, the council listed the University of Nairobi (UoN), Moi University, Africa Nazarene University, UMMA University and Chuka University as institutions whose licences to offer legal education have either lapsed or are awaiting approval.

According to CLE Chief Executive Officer Busalile Mwimali, the University of Nairobi’s Faculty of Law at the Parklands Campus , one of the country’s oldest and most prestigious law schools , had its licence expire on December 10, 2025. While the university submitted an application for renewal on December 14, the process has not been completed because the council is yet to carry out a mandatory audit and inspection.

Moi University is facing a similar challenge. Its licence to teach law also expired on December 10, 2025, and renewal remains pending, subject to inspection and compliance verification by the regulator.

At Chuka University, the council said the institution initiated the renewal process and paid the required fees last month, but has failed to submit all the documents needed for the review to proceed. This omission has stalled the renewal process, leaving the institution without a valid licence to offer its LLB programme.

UMMA University’s licence expired earlier, on September 24, 2025. Although the institution applied for renewal on September 18, 2025, CLE indicated that an audit has been scheduled for January 20, 2026, after which a decision will be made on whether the licence will be reinstated.