Reprieve for foreign students of law in Kenya

The High Court in Nairobi has quashed a decision to bar the Kenya School of Law from admitting foreign students to its Advocates Training Programme.

This follows two petitions by 11 foreign graduates of law who challenged the Council of Legal Education (CLE) that had stopped admission of foreigners.

Eight graduates - Jonnah Tusasirwe, Amaziah Martin Otim, Ssebadduka Abdulsalaam, Amongin Margaret Okalo, Twesigye Nelson, Nambirige Lilliane, Kobusinge Martha and Kamulegeya Mohammed - who filed the first petition, studied in Uganda and South Africa.

In a second petition, Victoria Modong Taban, a South Sudanese national, Nattabi Florence Peninah and Atuhairwe Benaidine, both from Uganda, studied in Kenyan universities but were denied admission to the Kenya School of Law following the directive.

Ms Taban, who holds a student visa, told the court she had studied in Kenya from primary school to university since 1994. She graduated from Moi University last year.

Kulundu Bitonye, the CLE secretary said in an internal memo dated October 26, 2016, that non-Kenyans were not eligible for admission, a decision the Kenya School of Law differed with.