Former Attorney General Githu Muigai has resigned as the chairperson of the Council of Legal Education (CLE). In an email seen by the Star on Monday, he attributed his exit to events of last week. Last week, the AG appeared before the National Dialogue Committee during which he presented his thoughts on issues affecting Kenyans. Muigai said the decision to vacate the office was a hard one for him as he has been dedicated to discharging his mandate. I write to inform you of my decision to resign from the Council of Legal Education, effective immediately. The events of the last week have made my continued leadership of the institution untenable,” he said.
“As most of you know I have dedicated a very large part of my career to legal education and training and it is with a very heavy heart that I have arrived at this decision,” read the email in part. He said he has requested the state law office to fill the vacancy as soon as possible to enable the institution to run seamlessly.
“I want to thank you all for the unconditional support you accorded me in my position as chairman,” Muigai said. Muigai was appointed to the council in 2021 as a nonexecutive chairperson by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta for a period of three years. Muigai’s resignation comes days after CLE acting CEO Mary Magure stepped down after staff went on strike over alleged mismanagement and high-handedness by the top leadership. The staff demanded the dissolution of the entire CLE Board as well as the sacking of senior officials over alleged misappropriation of funds.
The Council of Legal Education was re-established under the Legal Education Act, No.27 of 2012 with the twin primary purposes of: Promoting legal education and training, and the maintenance of the highest possible standards in legal education providers. It is also mandated with the responsibility of providing a system to guarantee the quality of legal education and legal education providers.
The Legal Education Act re-established the Council as a dedicated regulator and supervisor of legal education in Kenya, segregating it from the Kenya School of Law which through parallel legislation has been set up as a Government agency for post-university professional legal training.
CLE plays an important and critical role in Regulating legal education and training in Kenya, Licencing legal education providers, Supervising legal education providers, Setting standards for accrediting legal education providers and setting standards for curriculum and modular instruction.
Other roles include setting standards for modes and quality of examinations, setting standards for harmonization of legal education programmes in Kenya and the region, monitoring and evaluation legal education providers and programmes, and advising government on matters relating to legal education and training
Source: star.co.ke
