• Lumumba, who was the founding Dean for Kabarak Law School and served from May 12, 2010 to December 2, 2013 was speaking on August 28, 2025, during the commemoration of 15 years since its inception.

Kenyan legal scholar and Pan-Africanist Prof. Patrick Lumumba has lauded Kabarak University School of Law as a standout institution, not for its rarity, but for its distinction. “It is not because there are fewer law schools in Kenya,” he said, “but because Kabarak has chosen to do what makes them good.”

Lumumba, who was the founding Dean for Kabarak Law School and served from May 12, 2010 to December 2, 2013 was speaking on August 28, 2025, during the commemoration of 15 years since its inception.

In his signature cadence, he praised the institution’s global strides and moral clarity, declaring:“You have made programs that are unique, because your delivery is unique. And if you ever doubted your uniqueness, you have gone out there and amazed the world.”

From international moot court competitions to hosting global legal forums, Kabarak Law students have consistently flown Kenya’s flag high. Lumumba sees this as a harbinger of greater things to come.

“Soon rather than later, you will go out there and the world will say, behold a great law school. I look forward to those days.”

As the School’s founding Dean, Lumumba reflected on its evolution, from a department under the School of Education to a fully-fledged faculty with its own alumni association. “What I have seen here,” he said, “is a testament to the fact that when things are done right, they turn out right.”

He reserved special praise for Vice Chancellor Prof. Henry Kiplangat, whose leadership he described as visionary and consistent.

“Even when he was Principal at Moi High School Kabarak, he presided with distinction. He has a gift for identifying the right people. History will say he was a great educator.”

Lumumba’s admiration extended beyond academic achievement to moral conviction.
“We live in a country suffering from moral relativism, where truth depends. But here at Kabarak, truth is truth, drawn from biblical perspectives.”

The 15-year journey of Kabarak Law School mirrors the university’s broader trajectory of growth. According to Prof. Kiplangat, the institution now offers 35 undergraduate programs, 27 diploma programs, 16 certificate programs, and a postgraduate diploma.

Two new master's programs, Pharmacy in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing and Chemistry have recently been approved by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

“I can’t wait to announce the approval of master’s and PhD programs in the School of Law,” Kiplangat said, underscoring the university’s roadmap for academic expansion.

In its 15th year, Kabarak Law School has proven its capacity to host international events, including the 2024 Africa Regional Rounds of the John Jackson Moot Court Competition. The university has also completed two new buildings for the School of Law, furnished to international standards.

Prof. Kiplangat emphasizes the role of alumni in sustaining excellence:
“Alumni are the backbone of the institution. Your expertise, experience, and networks are invaluable as we shape the future of legal education.”

Lumumba, known for his fiery speeches on African unity and governance, closed with a challenge: “In fifteen years and beyond, what will Kabarak be?”

Fifteen years in, Kabarak University School of Law stands not only as a product of vision, but as a mirror for what legal education in Kenya can and must become.