The good thing is that some universities will allow you to join their law degree program with a diploma in law.

So, what are the minimum requirements to pursue a diploma in law in Kenya?

That is the question I will be answering in this article to help you make the right decision. I shall also recommend the best universities (and colleges) that offer diploma in law in Kenya.

Diploma in law Kenya requirements – what grade do you need?

In general, you are required to have scored a mean grade of at least C(C plain) -in your KCSE exam- or its equivalent.

In addition, you must have at least a C+(C plus) grade in English to qualify.

There are no other cluster requirements for a diploma in law in Kenya.

Diploma in law Kenya requirements – alternative qualifications

You can also be admitted if you have one principal pass (At least) at the KACE (Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education) examinations.

The other acceptable qualification by some universities is a Certificate in Law (you must have scored a distinction/ credit pass).

The only concern is that the certificate in law doesn’t seem to be recognized by the council of legal education (the body in charge of approving the curriculum for legal programmes) so there is no guarantee you’ll be admitted with the course.

Note that these requirements cut across the board.

Now that we have looked at the diploma in law requirements in Kenya, the next question naturally is: which colleges/universities offer a diploma in law course in Kenya?

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Universities that offer diploma in law in Kenya

You should note that only a few universities have been accredited to offer diploma courses in law in Kenya- most offer the LL.B (Bachelors of Law) course.

In fact, only two universities are accredited to offer a law programme at the diploma level.

These are:

1. Mt Kenya University (MKU)- This is a privately owned university and the course is offered at their Parklands law Campus
2. Kisii University- This is a public university and the course is offered at the main campus.

The other recognized institution that offers the course is the council of legal education-owned Kenya School of Law.

Diploma in law requirements MKU

• KCSE mean grade : C (C plain) or its equivalent
• English : C+ grade (C plus)

MKU Diploma in law -Course structure & duration

1. The Diploma in Law programme takes 4 semesters and you take a minimum of 24 units.
2. The programme shall be taught for not less than two academic years – each academic year has 2 semesters- and for not more than four years on either full time/part time basis.

Note that each semester is 16 weeks long – divided into 14 weeks for learning and the final 2 weeks for end-of semester examinations.

Next, we look at the MKU school of law fee structure for the diploma in law programme….

Diploma in law MKU fee structure

The payable fee is Kshs.49,000.00 per semester.

The course takes 4 semesters so the total fee (minus accommodation and living expenses) is about Kshs.196,000 at the time of writing this article.

Diploma in Law at Kenya School of Law (Para-legal) – entry requirements

• Mean grade: C (Plain) in the KCSE
• English: C (Plus) minimum grade

Course structure & Duration

1. Students can choose day /evening classes.
2. The programme lasts for at least two (2) academic years with each year having three (3) terms and shall not exceed three(3) academic years.
3. Students shall enroll for four(4) course units (maximum) per term. Again there are a total of 24 units for the course.

Note that for the Diploma in Law programme at Kenya School of Law, you apply through KUCCPS now..

Kenya school of law diploma in law fee structure

Application fees: Kshs.2000.00

Tuition fees: Kshs.30,000  (4 units x7500/- per unit) – per term

Examination fee: Kshs. 12,000 (4 units x Kshs.3000 per unit) – per term

Library fee: Kshs. 5,000 per year.

Don’t forget that there are 3 terms in an academic year and you’ll study for 2 academic years.

Who is a Diploma in Law for?

In most cases, a Diploma in Laws course intends to give you the knowledge, skills, and competencies required to practice as a paralegal in Kenya.

For starters, a paralegal is simply a professional who performs a variety of procedures as delegated to him/her by a lawyer.

These include:

• Maintaining and organizing legal records/files.
• Drafting documents such as affidavits and agreements
• Conducting legal research.

Where can I work with a diploma in Law in Kenya?

Paralegals are employed by a vast range of organizations including NGOs.

However, most work for registered law firms, government agencies/departments, and corporate legal departments.

I should add that there are few other positions you can qualify for with a diploma in law.

These are:

• Investigating officer
• Court clerk
• Legal Secretary
• Legal assistant
• Case-management officer.

A word on diploma in law salary in Kenya

Salaries for most diploma in law jobs in Kenya range from Kshs.30000 to kshs.50000 per month.

Diploma in law Kenya requirements – Frequently asked questions [FAQs]

Is there a diploma in law in Kenya?

Yes, at MKU, Kisii University, and Kenya school of law. There are a few other private colleges who advertise the course but I was not able to confirm if they’re licensed to teach it so do your research first.

Is diploma in law marketable in Kenya?

While it may not be as marketable as the LL.B Degree, there are decent jobs you can qualify for with a diploma in law.

These include paralegal jobs in the NGO sector, some of which pay very well.

However, if you’re able, I suggest that you upgrade to an LL.B after completing the diploma. That way, you will have more job openings you qualify for.

Does Kenyatta University offer diploma in law?

No!

Final words

You should check out the following institutions if you wish to pursue a diploma in law in Kenya:

1. MKU
2. Kenya school of law
3. Kisii university- you have to call their school of law for the prospectus as they do not provide the details of their diploma in law course online. Call them via 0720875082

The only other college that I should mention is KIM (Kenya institution of Management)- KIM however offers a course called Diploma in Law and Management, which is more or less focused on business law.

Good luck.

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Law degree requirements in Kenya / Requirements for law school in Kenya

To be considered for admission into a law degree in Kenya (Bachelor of Laws) you must meet the following minimum academic requirements:

Requirements for law school in Kenya

• Have a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(K.C.S.E.) mean grade of C+ (C plus) or equivalent OR
• Have a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education(K.C.S.E.) mean grade of C plain or equivalent plus a relevant diploma qualification from a recognized institution (you must have scored a distinction/credit pass) in the Diploma. In addition, the diploma must have lasted not less than 2 years OR
• Have a Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education (KACE) with two principal passes- Principal A, B, or C-(at least)- or equivalent qualification OR
• Hold a relevant degree (or degrees) from an accredited University AND at least a mean grade of B (B Plain) in English at KCSE or equivalent qualification.

Cluster subjects for law in Kenya – What subjects do I need to study law in Kenya?

On top of the C+ mean grade overall (minimum), in order to get admission into most law schools in Kenya, you should satisfy the following minimum grades in the 4 cluster subjects .

CLUSTER SUBJECT 1: Grade required in one subject (B plain)

English / Kiswahili

CLUSTER SUBJECT 2: Grade required in one subject (C plus)

Math A /Math B /Biology /Physics /Chemistry /Biology /GSC

CLUSTER SUBJECT 3: Grade required in one subject (C plus)

HAG / Geography / CRE (IRE / HRE)

CLUSTER SUBJECT 4:  Grade required in one subject (C plus)

Biology/ Physics / Chemistry/ Geography/ CRE (IRE / HRE)/ Agriculture/Home science /Art and design/ GSC / HAG/ Computer /French/German/Arabic/Kiswahili/WW /  BC / MW /PM / ECT /  AVT / DRD / MUC / BST

In universities such as UON (University of Nairobi), no student is admitted for the LLB programme (Bachelor of Laws) unless she/he has scored a grade of B+ in English in the KCSE examination. That said, most law schools in Kenya accept a B plain in English.

Important: Keep in mind that bachelor of law requirements are uniform in Kenya universities (as set by the council of legal education)

Now that you know about the law degree requirements in Kenya, let us look at other crucial details about law courses in Kenyan universities.

Course Duration

Law courses in Kenyan universities (Bachelor of Laws) programme lasts FOUR academic years (minimum) comprising 8 semesters.

In other words, to qualify for this award, you must complete the LLB course of study in not less than 4 academic years but not more than 6 academic years.

Course structure

The LLB programme comprises 56 course units. Note that each course unit is equivalent to three credit hours (a week).

You will be taking a total of 14 course units in every academic year (divided into 7 course units/per semester).

Studying law in Kenya: Intake windows

For the most part, the universities offering legal education in Kenya admit new students in May and September each year.

What next after your Bachelor of Laws(LLB) Degree?

After you qualify with your Bachelor of Laws(LLB)Degree, you must proceed to pursue a diploma in law(Advocates Training Program) at Kenya School Of Law.

The course takes 12months after which you undertake a 6 months’ compulsory internship (called pupillage) in a registered law firm, or the state Department of Law, or the ODPP (Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution).

You can only be licensed to practice after meeting these post graduate requirements.

Universities offering law in Kenya – top 10 law universities in Kenya

These are the universities fully accredited to teach law in Kenya:

1. Kenyatta university school of law – contact
2. MKU School of Law
3. Riara University School of Law
4. Moi University School of Law
5. Nazarene University
6. Chuka University
7. Umma University
8. Kisii University School of Law
9. University of Embu School of Law
10. Daystar University School of Law
11. The University of Nairobi School of Law
12. Egerton University School of Law
13. Strathmore University School of Law
14. JKUAT School of Law
15. Catholic University School of Law

Key skills and interests required to pursue a career in law

• Trustworthiness and discretion
• Excellent command of English (oral & written)
• Active listening skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Analytic and logical reasoning
• Research skills
• Reading skills
• Reading skills
• Planning skills
• Organization skills
• Negotiation skills

What the job/profession/career entails

Legal professionals advise and represent individuals, businesses and government agencies on legal issues and disputes.

Typically, lawyers do the following:

• Communicate with their clients, judge, and others involved in ongoing court cases
• Conduct research and analyze legal problems.
• Interpret law
• Interpret rulings and regulations; and
• Prepare and file legal documents such as lawsuits. Contracts and appeals among other duties.

Most judges also start as lawyers/advocates.

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Requirements for diploma in law in Kenya

If you’d like to take a diploma in law, here are the requirements and the colleges/universities accredited to offer a diploma in law in Kenya:

• Hold a KCSE mean grade of C(C plain) or its equivalent AND a grade of C+ (minimum) in English OR
  Have one principal pass (at least) at the KACE(Kenya Advanced Certificate of Education) examinations

Colleges/universities accredited to offer a diploma in law in Kenya:

• Kenya Institute of Management – Contact kim@kim.ac.ke ( or call 0719054101)
• Kisii University School of Law- Call 0720 875082
• MKU School of Law –Call 0709 153000

Keep in mind that persons that successfully pursue this course can be hired as legal writers/assistants, paralegals, and social workers.

They may also form part of the workforce in licensed where they will be providing assistance to the lawyers and litigators in the course of their work.

Diploma in law in Kenya -Course structure & duration

1. The Diploma in Law programme takes 4 semesters (in general) and consists of 24 units (minimum).
2. The programme takes a minimum of two academic years and a maximum of 4 years (on either full time/part time basis).
3. Each academic has two semesters, which is usually 16 weeks ( 14 weeks for learning and two weeks for end-of-semester examinations).

Types of law courses in Kenya

As you have seen, you can take mainly pursue a law course either at the degree or diploma level.

The qualifications are as indicated previously.

A word on online law courses in Kenya

We did not find any local college/university offering an online law degree in Kenya at the time of this.

Perhaps you may have to look at international universities if you must take your course online.

These includes:

1. UNICAF university
2. University of Salford, UK
3. Essex University, UK.

Important: if you will go the international way, be sure to research if the papers you get from your chosen university are recognized by Kenya authorities. You don’t want to waste your time and money doing an unaccredited law degree/diploma.

Which regulatory bodies govern legal education and practice in Kenya?

There are two distinct bodies:

• Council for Legal Education (CLE) – the council accredits and monitor colleges and universities offering legal courses in Kenya
• Law society Of Kenya(LSK)- this is the professional trade union/welfare body for lawyers. It is advisable to join LSK once you get your papers.

Conclusion

That’s all about law degree requirements in Kenya.

Till next time!

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