Fee hikes threaten to lock out aspiring lawyers

Thousands of aspiring lawyers could soon be priced out of the legal profession as a funding crisis forces the Kenya School of Law (KSL) and the Council of Legal Education (CLE) to consider sharp fee increases.

A new report reveals that massive government budget cuts and financial mismanagement have pushed both institutions to the brink, leaving them with no option but to transfer the burden to students.

The CLE, which oversees the critical Advocates Training Programme (ATP) exams, had its budget slashed by 202 million shillings in 2024.

"The Kenya Law Reform Commission committee recommends that the Council of Legal Education consider increasing the examination fees," said the committee, chaired by Christine Agimba.

"CLE should consider increasing fees for the services offered in its regulatory mandate," the report submitted to Attorney General Dorcas Oduor states.

At the same time, KSL has already scrapped its tuition loan programme due to funding cuts, removing the only financial safety net for struggling students.

The school’s main income comes from student tuition fees, short courses, professional training, and its hospitality and conference services.

The report warns that if no action is taken, the ATP fees—currently 145,000 shillings for tuition and 45,000 for exams—could surge.

Fees for remarking and resits, now set at 15,000 and 10,000 shillings respectively, may also go up.

This would hit hardest those who fail a single paper in the already tough bar exams.

"The committee recommends that KSL consider increasing the ATP fees, offering more courses, hospitality services, and admitting more foreign students to boost revenue," the report states.

The rising costs come as a final blow for many students, especially those from low-income backgrounds who entered law school through diploma programmes.

These students already face entry barriers based on Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) grades, as dictated by the KSL Act.

According to the committee, even students who meet all requirements risk being priced out due to the looming fee hikes.

The institutions say they are left with no alternative amid budget cuts that run into hundreds of millions of shillings, and no indication that government support will return.

The report also exposes deeper systemic problems at both institutions, including clashing legal mandates, internal mismanagement, and exclusionary policies that have stalled the dreams of thousands of law graduates.

A core issue lies in conflicting laws governing legal education.

While the KSL Act sets strict admission requirements based on high school grades, the CLE has attempted to open alternative paths for law graduates with diplomas or prior degrees.

These efforts have been blocked by the courts for contradicting existing legislation.

The result is a fractured system that sidelines students from disadvantaged backgrounds who followed non-traditional academic routes.

The failure of KSL’s tuition loan programme has further stranded needy students who have no means to cover the increasing costs.

Examinations, already a source of anxiety due to high failure rates and unclear grading, are now at risk of being cancelled altogether as CLE struggles to meet its operational expenses.

Legal experts behind the report have warned that unless urgent action is taken, the quality of legal education in Kenya will decline and the country will produce poorly trained advocates.