Faculty of Law University of Nairobi

What Faculty of Law University of Nairobi does

The Faculty of Law is the constituent legal education faculty of the University of Nairobi, Kenya's oldest and largest public university. Established in 1970 (evolved from a department of the Faculty of Commerce in the 1960s), it operates across three campuses — Nairobi (Parklands headquarters), Mombasa, and Kisumu — and serves approximately 1,397 undergraduate students plus postgraduate and doctoral cohorts. It is one of the largest law schools in East and Central Africa, producing 500+ LL.B graduates, ~50 LL.M graduates, and at least 2 PhD graduates annually, with alumni holding the highest offices in Kenya's legal and political institutions (Chief Justice, Attorney General, Speaker of the National Assembly).

Academically, the Faculty offers a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B, 4 years), a Master of Laws (LL.M, 2 years) with six specialisations (Corporate and Financial Law, Public International Law, Human Rights, IP and Technology Law, Environmental Law, Democracy & Governance), PhD programmes in Law, Environmental Law, and Environmental Policy, and a regional MA in Women, Children and Nature Rights in Environmental Governance (WCNREG) delivered in partnership with the Universities of Malawi, Zimbabwe (SEARCWL) and Oslo. The Faculty is organised into three departments (Constitutional and Public Law, Environmental and International Law, Financial and Commercial Law) and operates the Centre for Advanced Studies in Environmental Law and Policy (CASELAP), the Centre for Fiscal Studies, and a Maritime Centre/Fish Force Academy. The new transdisciplinary curriculum (validated May 2026) integrates AI Law, Digital Governance, Cybersecurity Law, and FinTech Regulation, alongside experiential learning through a Clinical Legal Education Programme (court, law firm, NGO, and State Law Office attachments) and a Moot Court Programme that has competed internationally.

The Faculty operates on a hybrid tuition model: Module I is government-subsidised (via KUCCPS placement) and Module II (Self-Sponsored, established 1999) charges higher tuition rates for parallel running programmes. Annual tuition ranges from approximately KES 150,000 (LL.B Year 1) to KES 365,000 (PhD Year 3), with full programme costs between KES 587,000 (LL.B) and KES 1,006,000 (PhD). Additional revenue is generated through research grants and consultancy from development partners (FAO, UNDP, EU, World Bank, UN agencies, GCRF networks). The Faculty holds Council of Legal Education (CLE) accreditation, publishes The East African Law Journal, and is undergoing active curriculum validation and CLE inspection as of 2026.

Name

Faculty of Law University of Nairobi

Legal name

University of Nairobi Faculty of Law

Website

https://law.uonbi.ac.ke

Company type

Public

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Faculty of Law at the University of Nairobi offers undergraduate, master's, and doctoral legal education across three Kenyan campuses (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu). It serves approximately 1,397 undergraduates and trains legal professionals through clinical programmes and international moot court competitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online / Hybrid Law Schools & Programs (EDAHAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

LLM & Post-JD Graduate Law Programs (EDAHAIAC), Law School Continuing Legal Education (CLE) & Executive Programs (EDAHAIAH), Legal & Compliance (CLE, Paralegal CE) (EDAAALAB)

Keywords

• Legal education
• Law degree programs
• Undergraduate law studies
• Postgraduate law studies
• Doctoral law research

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Module I Programme (Government Sponsored): Traditional government-subsidized undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with standardized tuition rates
2. Module II Programme (Self-Sponsored): Parallel self-sponsored programmes established in 1999 to enhance access to legal education with higher tuition fees
3. Research Grants and Consultancy: Funding from development partners including FAO, UN agencies for specific research projects in environmental governance, land policy, fiscal justice and other areas

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Faculty of Law delivers comprehensive legal education programmes from undergraduate to doctoral level, including the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B), Master of Laws (LL.M), and PhDs in Law, Environmental Law, and Environmental Policy, with specialist tracks in Corporate and Financial Law, Human Rights, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, Environmental Law, and Public International Law. It supplements classroom instruction with experiential learning through the Clinical Legal Education Programme and Moot Court Programme, and conducts policy-relevant research through dedicated centres such as CASELAP and the Centre for Fiscal Studies. Programmes are offered across three physical campuses (Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu) and through online/distance learning platforms.

Product overview

Faculty of Law University of Nairobi offers a comprehensive suite of legal education programmes spanning undergraduate (Bachelor of Laws), postgraduate (Master of Laws, Master of Arts in Environmental Law/Policy, and specialized WCNREG), and doctoral levels (PhD in Law, Environmental Law, and Environmental Policy). The Faculty provides research services through multiple projects covering environmental governance, fiscal justice, and legal aid. Student support is delivered via digital platforms (SMIS, E-Learning Portal, E-Class), with experiential learning through clinical legal education and moot court programmes. The Faculty maintains academic partnerships with key institutions and publishes research through The East African Law Journal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) A four-year undergraduate degree programme training lawyers in transdisciplinary knowledge covering Financial and Commercial Law, Human Rights, Democracy, Governance and Law, Environmental Law, and International Law, for students seeking entry into Kenya's legal profession.
• Master of Laws (LL.M) A two-year postgraduate programme offering specialised training in six thematic areas: Corporate and Financial Law, Public International Law, Human Rights Law, Intellectual Property and Technology Law, Environment and Natural Resource Law, and Democracy, Governance and Law.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Law (PhD) A three-year doctoral programme preparing students with analytical and conceptual skills to understand law in its social, economic, and political context.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Law (PhD) A three-year doctoral programme with a multidisciplinary outlook and research-oriented approach to designing legal rules for solving environmental challenges.
• Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Policy (PhD) A three-year doctoral programme preparing learners to participate in environmental solutions through development and design of policies addressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.
• Master of Arts in Environmental Law A two-year programme providing a multidisciplinary approach to environmental law with research skills for designing legal rules that address environmental challenges.
• Master of Arts in Environmental Policy A two-year programme focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to environmental studies and policy initiatives for sustainable development.
• Master of Arts in Women, Children and Nature Rights in Environmental Governance (WCNREG) A two-year regional master's programme examining environmental governance through women's, children's and nature's rights lens, offered in partnership with University of Malawi, SEARCWL University of Zimbabwe, and University of Oslo.
• Research Projects Various research initiatives including GCRF Plastic Pollution Governance, GeoHealth Hub, Blue Economy Assessment, Fiscal Justice, Tax Policy Research, and Legal Aid Projects, funded by development partners and UN agencies.
• The East African Law Journal Faculty journal publishing scholarly articles on law and legal studies.
• E-Learning and Online Learning Platforms Online learning infrastructure supporting distance education, COVID-period learning, and blended learning modes via the E-Learning Portal and E-Class platforms.
• Clinical Legal Education and Moot Court Programme Experiential learning through moot court competitions, judicial attachments, externships, and legal aid clinics, including participation in the Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ LL.B graduates annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Kenya School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022Academic collaboration and partnership for legal education. Kenya School of Law is an institution involved in training advocates and continuing professional development for legal professionals.
• Council of Legal EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022Regulatory body for legal education in Kenya. The Faculty undergoes regular CLE inspections for quality assurance and accreditation of its programmes including the LL.B programme inspection in June 2026.
• Judiciary Training Institute (JTI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 March 2022Partnership with the Judiciary Training Institute for judicial education and training. The JTI is an affiliate institution of the Kenya Judiciary focused on training judicial officers.
• Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO Kenya)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO Kenya provided support for the Faculty's land governance research partnership that helped fund the curriculum review process. Also partner in National Land Policy Reforms forum.
• University of MalawimajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership for the Master of Arts in Women, Children and Nature Rights in Environmental Governance (WCNREG) programme. Part of consortium including African universities and University of Oslo.
• SEARCWL University of ZimbabwemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for WCNREG regional masters programme. SEARCWL has expertise in women's law teaching and research.
• University of OslomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for WCNREG programme bringing Norwegian academic expertise to African environmental governance education.
• East Africa Law SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni collaboration for publishing advocates practicing manual for East African Court of Justice (EACJ). The manual was developed to address knowledge gaps among advocates regarding the court.
• FIDA-KenyaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for audit of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights in Kilifi County. Principal Investigator: Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui.
• UNEP NC/UoN-MCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Assessment of Kenya's Blue Economy Sectors. Principal Investigator: Dr. Akunga Momanyi.
• Nelson Mandela UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partnership for Implementation of Short Learning Programmes and Study on Training Needs Assessment on Fisheries. Principal Investigator: Prof. Paul Wambua Musili.
• University of GothenburgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pesticide governance research with Centre for Future Chemical Risk Assessment and Management. Case study on pesticide usage by small scale farmers along Kuja Lake Victoria Basin.
• World BankminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Kamau has consulted extensively with World Bank on law and development issues.
• UN WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Winifred Kamau has consulted with UN Women on gender and law issues.
• UNODCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProf. Winifred Kamau has consulted with UN Office on Drugs and Crime on criminal justice issues.
• GCRF Plastic Pollution Governance Framework NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational research network on plastic pollution governance with UK and African partners.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Kenya School of Law: Kenya's post-bar professional legal training institution partnering with the Faculty of Law to develop advocates. Direct peer in Kenyan legal education pipeline with overlapping students and shared CLE regulatory oversight.
• United States International University (USIU) Law School: Private Kenyan university with a law programme emphasising international curricula. Direct competitor for Kenyan students seeking alternative credentials to UoN Faculty of Law.
• Moi University School of Law: Major Kenyan public university law school with parallel LL.B and LLM programmes under the same Council of Legal Education framework. Direct competitor for Kenyan students and faculty talent.
• Strathmore University Law School: Leading private Kenyan law school offering LL.B and postgraduate programmes. Competes directly with UoN Faculty of Law for top Kenyan students and shares the same regulator (CLE); a benchmark for agile private-sector legal education.

Regional players

• Makerere University School of Law: Premier East African public university law school in Uganda. Comparable regional scale and CLE-style accreditation, with similar role in training East African legal professionals.
• University of Dar es Salaam School of Law: Leading Tanzanian public university law school. Regional peer with similar scale, public mandate, and role in producing East African legal professionals.
• University of the Witwatersrand School of Law: Major South African law school with strong research output and international moot reputation. Comparable regional peer in research ambitions and African legal scholarship.

Emerging players

• University of London (Undergraduate Laws Programme): International online/distance LL.B programme used by Kenyan self-sponsored students as a private alternative to UoN. Competes for the same Module II demand pool with international credential branding.

Others

• University of Oslo Faculty of Law: International research partner through the WCNREG programme. Comparable for the joint research and curriculum model in environmental governance, though not a direct competitor for students.

Broad incumbents

• University of Cape Town Faculty of Law: Top-ranked African law school with mature research output and international recognition. Aspirational benchmark for UoN's research ambitions and a model for Africanized/transdisciplinary legal scholarship.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UoNLawFaculty
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_BuWKQmgrULOA_RjYLHrsA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/uonchss
• Instagraminstagram.com/universityofnairobi
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/faculty-of-law-university-of-nairobi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Faculty of Law University of Nairobi