The Law Society of Kenya has protested against the decision by the Council of Legal Education to close Moi University Eldoret’s law school.
Students and staff yesterday accused the council of rushing into an “unfair decision”.
More than 1,500 students are affected.
LSK North Rift branch chairman Zephania Yego said the school has the best training facilities, contrary to the council’s claims.
The council ordered the school closed on grounds it does not meet standards for accreditation.
Yego said they are teaming up with the university to seek court orders to block the closure.
He spoke outside the school with LSK officials Mary Ruto and Michael Obwombo.
“We have inspected the institution and found the law school, which has been churning out some of the best legal brains in the country, has the best training facilities,” Yego said.
He said the council has vested interests.
Yego said the best it could have done was to give the school time to correct any problems.
“The university has invested more than Sh1 billion to develop the existing facilities and you cannot just wake up and order the college closed without proper consultation and considering all issues at hand,” he said.
The council said the school does not have the capacity to offer law courses.
Council CEO Kulundu Bitonye said it was inspected on August 28 and performed poorly in relation to the facilities and resources for offering the courses.
He said the school scored 36.5 per cent, which is far below the required threshold of 67 per cent for full accreditation.
A provisional accreditation given to the school by the council expired early this month.
The council has given the university two months to provide a closure plan.
The LSK officials who met the dean, Henry Lugulu, said the school will continue its operations as they move to court.
He said the matter will be sorted out so students and lecturers should not panic.
Students said they were angered by the council’s decision.
“As the affected students we will team up with the university and LSK to defend our law school, which we believe is giving us the best training,” students leader Janet Mutai said.
