MPs Approve Bill to Lower Law Degree Requirements in Kenya
The Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly has approved the progression of the Legal Education (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to reduce the requirements for obtaining a law degree in the country.
The changes proposed by Embakasi East Member of Parliament (MP) Babu Owino aim to eliminate the rigidity in the current law that mandates higher grades for students enrolling in Bachelor of Law (LLB) degree programs.
Babu Owino proposes eliminating the prerequisite for grade B in English or Kiswahili to enable as many students as possible to register for the course.
According to a statement by Parliament, the change would allow LLB graduates who do not have a B (Plain) in English or Kiswahili to be admitted to the Kenya School of Law for the advocates’ training program, with the aim of fostering career advancement.
Babu noted that a minor amendment to the Legal Education Act of 2010 would facilitate access to legal education and the practice of law for Kenyans.
The legislator, who studied Law and Actuarial Science, added that the requirement prevented potential legal practitioners from enrolling in the program.
Currently, Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree requirements in Kenya differ from institution to institution. Nevertheless, standard requirements include a mean grade of C+ (Plus) or its equivalent on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) or its equivalent.
Students who wish to enroll in the program must also have earned at least a B (Plain) in either English or Kiswahili on the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education.
Alternately, the student must possess a minimum of three Principal Passes on the Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education Examination (KACE).
Students can also begin their law studies at the Diploma level and then advance to a Degree program after obtaining a passing grade on an examination administered by an accredited institution.
In addition to the aforementioned prerequisites, some institutions may also require applicants to have taken the Law Admission Test (LAT), particularly those entering at the diploma level.
The LSAT is a standardized examination used to evaluate the academic aptitude of law school applicants. The Council of Legal Education (CLE), which is responsible for regulating legal education in Kenya, administers this examination.
The CLE also establishes the minimum academic requirements for law school admission. These requirements are periodically reviewed and may be updated on occasion.
MPs Approve Bill to Lower Law Degree Requirements in Kenya
 Bill 2023 proposed by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino){kind=link}