The Republic of Kenya, is a country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running down the southeast border. Kenya is a diverse country, with many different cultures represented. Notable cultures include the Swahili on the coast, pastoralist communities in the north, and several different communities in the central and western regions. Today, the Massai culture is the best known, due to its heavy exposure from tourism.
Chief among Kenya's exports are: flowers (horticulture), fruits and vegetables, tea and coffee. Another key foreign exchange earner is tourism. Tourism has grown tremendously since 2003 with the number of foreigners coming to Kenya increasing steadily, as attested to by the airlines operating in Kenya.
The Kenyan government is slowly but surely working to make education in Kenya better. Schools are now free to attend, although overcrowding is an issue that needs to be dealt with. Funding from the UK will help reconstruct some schools and hopefully make them a better learning environment. Although Kenya has its own universities, some parents choose to send their children to different countries. Many believe that the United Kingdom has the best universities, and that it would be a great opportunity for their children to attend a university there. Kenyan universities are difficult to get accepted to as there is such a high demand for higher education and not nearly enough room in the universities.
Kenya is the biggest supplier of students from East Africa attending UK universities. More private schools are entering the market and offer an international curriculum, which includes A-levels and IB (International Baccalaureate), with many students aiming for study opportunities abroad. Traditionally, students attending A-level schools are not admitted to Kenyan universities. The market is growing and there are at least 47 private secondary schools that prepare students for British examinations spread across the regions as follows:
- Nairobi: 30
- Mombasa: 7
- Kisumu & Nakuru: 10
The government school system consists of eight years primary, four years secondary and four years undergraduate. A number of UK universities continue to attract highly motivated students from public schools on foundation or access courses. A foundation programme for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), for students wishing to gain entry to UK universities, has been running in Kenya for nine years. It is supported by a consortium of British institutions, in partnership with Braeburn High School. However, most students from government schools (Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education -- KCSE) go to the UK for access courses. There are also six schools offering IB.
The majority of Kenyan students studying abroad are pursuing undergraduate courses, and this remains the key market opportunity. HESA statistics show that in 2002 / 2003 there were 3,000 HE Kenyan students in the UK, of which around 1,065 were studying postgraduate courses (this is a significant increase compared to 2001 / 2002, when there were 835 postgraduate and 1,725 undergraduate Kenyan students studying in the UK). There is an increasing demand for postgraduate courses, especially MBAs and distance learning.
Subject areas of most interest for undergraduate study are Business and Finance (twenty-two per cent), Medicine and related sciences (nineteen per cent), Information Technology (eleven per cent), Engineering (9.6 per cent), Humanities (8.5 per cent) and Law (8.3 per cent).
Due to a lack of places, only a third of those qualified get admission to Kenyan universities, and this is creating demand for international education. There are six public universities, five chartered universities, six universities with letters of interim authority and six with certificates of registration, thus making a total of 23.
The best new opportunities are likely to be found in Further Education, especially with the expanding market for professional qualifications, and in the provision of short courses in Marketing, Business Studies, Management and Information Technology. British qualifications are recognised, valued and highly accepted. Some UK institutions have entered partnerships with Kenyan colleges to provide alternative routes to British qualifications through BTEC and HND courses.
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