NAIROBI, Kenya- The Kenya School of Law (KSL) has temporarily suspended applications for its 2027/2028 Advocates Training Programme (ATP) intake following High Court orders concerning the advertised admission criteria.
In a notice issued on Thursday, October 15, the school said it would stop receiving applications pending further directions from the court and the determination of the case.
KSL did not give a date for resuming applications, saying it would communicate any developments through its official channels.
The suspension follows interim orders issued by Justice John Onyiego on October 6.
The court barred KSL and the Council of Legal Education from implementing the disputed criteria, processing applications under them or admitting and enrolling students on that basis, pending further proceedings.
The legal challenge concerns changes to the entry requirements for the next ATP class.
The petitioners, including Elizabeth Achieng and the organisation Kioo Cha Jamii, argue that the school introduced new admission pathways through its intake advertisement without following the required legal and regulatory process.
Traditionally, applicants have needed a minimum Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education mean grade of C+ and at least a B plain in English or Kiswahili, alongside other requirements.
The revised criteria included alternative routes for some law graduates who did not meet those secondary school grades, based on additional qualifications or passing a Pre-Bar Examination.
The legality of those pathways is now before the court.
The application window had been scheduled to close on November 13, leaving prospective students awaiting clarity on the intake process.
The court orders also restrained KSL and the Council of Legal Education from admitting students under the disputed requirements.
KSL said it hoped the court cases would be resolved quickly and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the suspension.
It asked applicants and other stakeholders for patience as the matter proceeds.
