NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenyatta University has launched its Master of Laws (LLM) programme, marking a significant milestone in the institution’s expansion of advanced legal education and scholarship.
The programme was launched on Friday, August 14, 2026, at an event that brought together legal scholars, practitioners, university administrators, lecturers and students to celebrate the culmination of a 14-year journey to establish the postgraduate law programme.
Chief Justice Emeritus Hon. Dr Willy Mutunga, who was the Guest of Honour, used the occasion to place the launch within the wider evolution of legal education, constitutionalism and jurisprudence in Kenya and the Global South.
Dr Mutunga said a master’s degree in law should provide more than an additional academic qualification, giving students an opportunity to specialise, conduct research, develop ideas and contribute to the advancement of jurisprudence.
He said the programme could help lawyers and scholars interrogate existing legal principles and respond to emerging challenges in areas such as international trade, artificial intelligence and advanced technology.
The former Chief Justice emphasised the need for legal education to respond to Kenya’s changing social, political, technological and constitutional environment, particularly under the framework established by the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
Reflecting on the Constitution’s approaching 16th anniversary, Dr Mutunga used an analogy attributed to his friend Prof. Kivutha Kibwana, likening Kenya’s 2010 constitutional transformation to the birth of a beautiful baby that was subsequently placed in the hands of child traffickers.
Behind the humour, he said, was a serious reflection on the challenges surrounding the implementation and protection of the constitutional order.
Developing new jurisprudence
Dr Mutunga also challenged legal scholars to use postgraduate education to develop new areas of jurisprudence rather than simply reproduce established legal doctrines.
He referred to the work of legal philosophers including HLA Hart, particularly his exposition of legal positivism, and Hans Kelsen’s contribution to constitutionalism.
His reflections underscored the importance of teaching law alongside its philosophical, political and institutional foundations.
The Chief Justice Emeritus also highlighted the development of constitutionalism in the Global South, citing Kenya, India and Brazil among jurisdictions that have made significant contributions to constitutional jurisprudence.
He argued that expertise in constitutional law should not necessarily flow from traditional Western centres of legal scholarship, suggesting that African scholars could increasingly contribute to constitutional development beyond the continent.
He provocatively suggested that African constitutional experts could one day be called upon to assist in drafting a new constitution for the United States or contribute to constitutional development in the United Kingdom, which does not have a single written constitutional document.
From imperial presidency to constitutional transformation
Dr Mutunga further reflected on Kenya’s former constitutional order and what he described as the imperial presidency, explaining the concentration of powers in the presidency through an analogy involving the English monarch, the American President and the Pope.
He said the 2010 Constitution fundamentally altered that system by redistributing power, strengthening constitutional institutions and providing a framework for rights, accountability, separation of powers and democratic participation.
The discussion placed the new LLM programme within a broader question facing legal education: how universities can prepare lawyers and scholars to understand not only existing law but also the forces reshaping the legal system.
14 years in the making
The launch also recognised the university officials and academics who contributed to the programme’s development over the past 14 years.
Speakers acknowledged the contributions of Dr Linda Musumba, Dr Faith Kabata, Mr Nzuki and the current Dean, Dr Tom Ratemo, among others who worked on the programme at different stages.
The contributions highlighted the importance of institutional continuity, with the programme surviving changes in university leadership and administration before finally becoming a reality.
The Vice Chancellor, who was scheduled to attend the event, was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, who conveyed the university’s commitment to advancing legal education and scholarship.
Constitutional Law lecturer Catherine Irumbi, who delivered the vote of thanks, highlighted the key observations made during the launch and expressed appreciation to Dr Mutunga for his intellectual contribution to the occasion.
The LLM programme comes at a time when the legal profession is confronting new questions arising from artificial intelligence, digital commerce, data governance, cybersecurity, advanced technologies and other developments transforming economies and societies.
For Kenyatta University, the programme therefore represents more than the addition of a postgraduate qualification. It provides an opportunity to cultivate lawyers and scholars capable of conducting advanced research, interrogating established doctrines and contributing to the development of jurisprudence in Kenya, Africa and beyond.
The launch ultimately served as both a celebration of a 14-year institutional journey and a reminder that legal education must evolve with society—teaching the law as it exists while creating space to question, develop and, where necessary, transform it to meet emerging challenges.
