Kenya has removed one of the most significant formal educational barriers to political office, allowing candidates without university degrees to contest for president, governor and Parliament in the 2027 general election.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) confirmed that it currently has no legal basis to require a university degree from candidates for the three positions, following court rulings that declared the degree requirement in Kenya's Elections Act unconstitutional.
The change could significantly widen the pool of potential candidates in a country where only about 3.5% of the population held a university degree at the time of the 2019 census, according to IEBC Commissioner Ann Nderitu.
Nderitu said the previous requirement effectively excluded about 96.5% of Kenyans from contesting for the presidency, governorships and parliamentary seats, raising concerns about discrimination and equal political participation.
Why Kenya's decision matters beyond education
