Hundreds of Kenyans to Lose Law Degrees in Makerere University Crackdown

Hundreds of Kenyans in the legal profession are living in fear following a decision by Uganda's Makerere University to recall degrees issued in the last decade.

Makrere has announced that results leading to the award of the degrees were either altered or forged.

This leaves many Makerere graduates, many of whom are practicing advocates and magistrates and others in public and private institutions in fear of losing their academic credentials.

A lawyer said if the institution goes ahead to makes good on its threat, hundreds of students who have graduated from the institution since 2007 risk losing their jobs.

“The chaos in the legal profession will have ripple effects. It means Kenya School of Law will recall diplomas awarded while the Law Society of Kenya will expunge many from the roll of advocates,” the lawyer, who requested anonymity, said.

The chairman of Commission for University Education in Kenya Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha on Wednesday admitted that the recall of the degrees would affect many, while postgraduate students with a first degree from Makerere would have to halt their studies.

Early this year, the Kenya Council of Legal Education halted the admission of law students from East Africa, especially Uganda, to the Kenya School of Law but the High Court reversed the decision.

CLE chief executive Wanyonyi Kulundu-Bitonye said the decision had been informed after a procedural error in the admission of foreigners to the school was discovered.

Uganda Law Society President Francis Gimara, however, protested, saying the decision was not in line with the spirit of liberalisation of legal services in the region.