NAIROBI, Kenya – The High Court has temporarily barred the Kenya School of Law (KSL) and the Council of Legal Education (CLE) from processing or admitting students under disputed criteria for the 2027/2028 Advocates Training Programme (ATP), according to court proceedings in a case filed by Davison Wiyema and 11 others.
The petitioners are challenging the admission criteria and requirements set for the 2027/2028 ATP intake.
The court has issued conservatory orders stopping KSL and CLE from processing applications or admitting students under the contested requirements pending the hearing and determination of the application.
Dispute Centres On ATP Admission Rules
The case pits Wiyema and the 11 other petitioners against KSL and CLE over the requirements being applied for admission to the next ATP cohort.
The dispute comes amid wider changes and legal challenges surrounding admission to the advocates’ training programme.
Recent decisions by the Legal Education Appeals Tribunal have also dealt with KSL admission criteria and the legal effect of the Court of Appeal’s decision in Otinga v Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education & Others. In one July 2026 decision, the Tribunal considered an appeal by a law graduate seeking admission to the 2027/2028 ATP.
The Tribunal has previously held that Section 16 and the Second Schedule of the Kenya School of Law Act, which KSL had relied upon in some admission decisions, had been rendered void and unconstitutional following the Court of Appeal’s decision in Otinga.
KSL Had Set November 13 Deadline
The court order comes as KSL prepares for the 2027/2028 ATP intake.
KSL’s official website is currently carrying an amended advertisement for admission to the 2027/2028 academic year.
The effect of the conservatory orders on the application timeline will depend on subsequent directions from the High Court as it considers the dispute.
Legal Education Framework Under Review
The case comes at a time of significant changes in Kenya’s legal education system.
In September, the CLE handed draft Legal Education (Advocates Training Programme) Regulations, 2026 and Legal Education (Licensing and Quality Assurance) Regulations, 2026 to the Attorney General as part of efforts to reform the legal education and professional training framework.
The CLE says the ATP is an 18-month programme comprising 12 months of in-house training and six months of pupilage, with the Council responsible for administering the professional examination.
The Wiyema case will therefore be closely watched by law graduates seeking admission to the 2027/2028 ATP, particularly those affected by the disputed admission requirements.
The substantive application remains pending before the High Court.
