This archive report was first published on 7 August 2020.
On August 7, 2020, Attorney General Kihara Kariuki weighed in on the mass failure of students at the Kenya School of Law (KSL), citing a mismatch between the exam questions and the curriculum taught at the institution.
According to Kariuki, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) exams captured legal questions that had not been taught at the law school, leaving students unprepared and confused.
The latest results showed that 80% of law students who sat their bar examinations in November 2018 did not qualify to be admitted for legal practice.
Speaking to the Senate Justice and Legal Affairs committee, Kariuki emphasized the need for harmonization of functions between KSL and CLE, stating, "There is need for harmonisation of functions between KSL and CLE…this is reflected in the fact that students appear to be tested on matters they are not taught."
He noted that a task force appointed the previous year to investigate the cause of the mass exam failures found that students were unclear about the examiner's expectations, which contributed to the dismal performance.
The Senate is probing the matter, with an audit of finances at the CLE and KSL expected to be carried out as part of the investigations.
