Egerton university is among the privileged higher learning institutions to be chosen by the Council of Legal Education to administer bar examinations in future.
This examination is a statutory requirement for every law graduate seeking to be admitted as an advocate in the legal profession in our country. For the first time in history , these examinations are going to be held outside Nairobi. According to the CLE CEO, Dr Wambua Kituku, this will take place at the University’s main campus on March 31,2022.
According to Dr Kituku, this move was the council’s effort whereby they wanted to devolve the examination administration that had been previously held only in Nairobi at the Kenya School of Law, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology Karen Campus, The Bomas of Kenya, Cooperative University and the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board Tower among other locations.
The Council for Legal Education is the only organ mandated to oversee law education, authorizing the syllabus of university teaching law, assessing and administering exams for law graduates.
The CLE boss said they’ve been experiencing high rates of exam failures but there was a change whereby the curriculum that prepares candidates to join the ranks of advocates has been trimmed, reorganized and rationalized inorder to meet the needs of the industry.
When it comes to the bar examination, there are three main parts that include; projects, oral an written. Written exams are summative given by CLE and it contains 60 percent whereas projects and oral are formative which are completed at KSL and moderated by the CLE and it has 40 percent.
The courses that are offered include Civil Litigation, Criminal Litigation, Probate and Administration, Legal Writing and Drafting, Professional Ethics and Practice, Trial Advocacy, Conveyance and Commercial Transactions and Legal practice management.
For one to be rendered a pass, one must attain a minimum of 50 percent of the total mark as well as complete a six month supervised pupilage.
The CLE, KSL, the regulator and examiner have been under fire due to a high failure rate of students in examinations which has led to admission to the bar despite having completed university education.
The Kenyan Instituitions that offer degree in law include; the University of Nairobi, Egerton University, Kenyatta University, Jomo Kenyatta University of Science and Technology, Moi University, Kisii University, Embu University, Chuka University, Kabarak University, Riara University, Daystar University, Strathmore University and many others.
The Egerton University Vice Chancellor, Prof Kibwage said that Kenyan lawyers and others from developing countries have managed to maintain a higher level of influence and visibility despite many challenges that have befallen the legal profession.
