The Council for Legal Education (CLE) has undertaken an inspection and quality assurance engagement at Kabarak University School of Law, bringing together the members of the Kabarak University Management Board led by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Henry K. Kiplangat, leadership and faculty of the School of Law, members of the Council’s Quality Assurance Committee, the CLE Secretariat, and officers of the Standards, Licensing, Supervision and Compliance Directorate.
The Quality Assurance Committee delegation was led by its Chair, Mr George Nyakundi, alongside Hon. Lady Justice Agnes Murgor, who represents the Chief Justice of the Judiciary of Kenya on the Council for Legal Education, and Mr Oscar Eredi. The CLE Secretariat was represented by Prof Jack Mwimali, while the Standards, Licensing, Supervision and Compliance Directorate was led by its Director, Ms Annah Konuche, accompanied by Mr Moses Muchiri, Ms Yvonne Kinua and Ms Celia Makena.
The engagement opened with reflections by Acting Provost, Reverend Justus Mutuku, who drew from the biblical account of creation in Genesis and the concept of Imago Dei—that humanity is created in the image of God and declared good. He challenged participants to ensure that all they do reflects that divine image. Drawing further from Colossians 3:23, he emphasised the call to undertake our work wholeheartedly, with our hearts, minds and souls, as an expression of our love for and service to God.
In his opening remarks, Mr Nyakundi noted that the inspection was concerned, among other matters, with the CLE’s expectations regarding academic governance and the cultivation of a strong culture of legal research. He challenged the School to continually reflect on an important strategic question: How do we respond to the CLE strategic vision?
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Henry K. Kiplangat, welcomed the CLE delegation and reaffirmed Kabarak University’s commitment to regulatory compliance and quality legal education. He emphasised that, for Kabarak University, compliance should go beyond satisfying regulatory requirements: it should make a meaningful difference in law, the legal profession and society.
The School’s presentations were led by Prof J. Osogo Ambani, Dean, School of Law; Dr Rosemary Mwanza, Head of Department, African Centre for Governance, Leadership and Ethics; and Mr Cedric Kadima, Head of Department, Commercial Law. The presentations highlighted the School’s development, academic governance, curriculum, teaching and learning approaches, research and publications, staffing, student support, infrastructure, and its broader vision for undergraduate and postgraduate legal education.
A robust question-and-answer session followed, providing members of the CLE delegation with an opportunity to seek clarification on the presentations and to raise further points for institutional reflection. The discussions also addressed the prayers placed before the Council and the School’s continuing commitment to strengthening the quality and impact of its legal education.
In her vote of thanks, Professor Oluyemisi Adefunke Bamgbose, SAN, Visiting Professor at Kabarak University School of Law, expressed the University’s appreciation to the CLE delegation for its time, scrutiny and constructive engagement.
Drawing from her extensive experience in university education and quality assurance, Professor Bamgbose observed that Kabarak University has developed a culture of “accrediting itself” through regular internal audits and a strong institutional understanding that accreditation is not an event that begins when regulators arrive. Rather, the accreditation process begins from the very day a licence is granted, requiring continuous attention to quality, standards and institutional improvement.
The engagement concluded with a tour of the School of Law facilities, led by Prof Ambani. The tour afforded the CLE delegation an opportunity to interact directly with the physical facilities, learning spaces and resources that support the School’s teaching, learning, research and student experience.
The visit forms part of Kabarak University School of Law’s continuing engagement with the Council for Legal Education as the School seeks to consolidate the quality of its legal education, deepen its research culture and governance niche, and strengthen its contribution to the legal profession and society.
