Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education, State Department for University Education and Research Simon Nabukwesi, on Thursday, September 22, disclosed that the country had recorded an increase in the number of foreign students seeking admission.
Speaking during the First International Annual Conference for Public Universities, Nabukwesi attributed the upward trajectory in admissions of foreign students to exemplary performances exhibited by Kenyan professionals abroad.
He further noted that the trend had been buoyed by the recent Supreme Court ruling where Kenyan lawyers demonstrated their prowess and judges also upheld a high level of professionalism hence setting precedence in the entire region.
“Recently our lawyers performed very well at the Supreme Court and now everyone across the region wants to bring their children to learn here in Kenya,” Nabukwesi explained.
Also Read: Exemplary performance attracts foreign students seeking admission.
“The foreign students are attracted by the high performance of our professionals which has now been recognized across the borders,” he added.
Nabukwesi further justified his sentiments by detailing that Kenyan students studying abroad have continued to impress, thus raising the stakes of the country’s education system.
“Many of our Kenyan students who go out for further studies are top performers. A clear indication that at the basic level starting from secondary education to first degree they get competencies and skills required to be globally competitive,” the PS remarked.
He, however, insisted on the need to revamp the systems, especially in institutions of higher learning to equip graduates with market-friendly skills.
According to UNESCO projections in 2019, the country had a total of 4,782 foreign students.
In the period between 2020- 2021, the number of foreign students rose to 6,202. According to CPS Research International, a market and social research company, The University of Nairobi had the highest number of foreigners, with nearly 1,300 international students enrolled.
United States International University (USIU-Africa) was second with 1,100 foreign students, Strathmore University was third with 660, while Mount Kenya University (MKU) was fourth with 560 such learners.
The government had earlier announced plans to increase the enrollment and admission to hit over 30,000 across the country. To attract a high number of foreign students, the government laid out ambitious plans, including subsiding students’ visas, lowering accommodation costs and standardizing fee structures in various universities.
“We want to get to a level where our universities are more competitive globally to attract foreign students from across the world,” Nabukwesi responded on the plans to increase admissions.