- Providing legal advice on contractual, statutory, and regulatory obligations binding on the University, and advising the Council on its legal duties and governance responsibilities.
- Drafting, reviewing, and managing all University contracts, conveyancing matters, and litigation, and ensuring representation of the University before courts and other legal fora.
- Leading the development, review, harmonization, and implementation of University laws, policies, regulations, codes, rules, guidelines, and .agreements to ensure consistency with the University mandate and applicable laws.
- Managing and monitoring all litigation matters, including liaising with external advocates to ensure effective legal representation and timely resolution of cases.
- Establishing and maintaining systems for documenting enforcement and compliance activities, and developing legal accountability frameworks for University personnel.
- Providing legal opinions, interpretation of laws, and legal training to staff, and disseminating relevant legal requirements across the University.
- Coordinating the formulation and implementation of legal services policies, strategies, procedures, and guidelines.
- Reviewing internal and external requests requiring legal approval to ensure legal soundness, advising accordingly, and overseeing proper implementation.
- Managing the University’s Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms.
- Maintaining and updating the University’s conflict of interest and gifts registers, and ensuring timely filing of statutory and annual returns with relevant authorities.
- Overseeing authentication of documents issued to or held by the University as collateral, securities, or loan support documents, and handling related conveyancing matters.
- Coordinating legal research, investigations, preparation of witnesses, and other pre-trial and hearing activities.
- Maintaining up-to-date records of gazetted matters and legal notices affecting the University.
- Ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements through periodic legal and compliance audits.
- Spearheading the development and implementation of departmental work plans, budgets, performance contracts, quality management systems, and performance contracting processes.
- Coordinating legal audits and ensuring institutional compliance with governance standards, ethical requirements, and best practices.
Assistant Director, Legal Services
Deadline
02 Feb 2026
Grade
Grade
13
Open Posts
Posts
1
Duties & Responsibilities
Required Qualifications and Competencies
For appointment to this grade, one MUST have:
- Master’s Degree in any of the following disciplines: Law, Business Administration, Public Administration, or equivalent qualifications from a recognized institution.
- Be a holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from an accredited and recognized university.
- At least six (6) years of relevant work experience with at least three (3) years in grade 12 or equivalent.
- Postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law.
- Admitted as an advocate of the High Court of Kenya.
- Must have a valid practicing license.
- Supervisory course lasting for at least two (2) weeks cumulatively.
- Registered as a member of the Law Society of Kenya in good standing; and
- Proficiency in computer applications.
APPLICATION PROCEDURES:
- All applications should be submitted with an Application Letter, a detailed Curriculum Vitae indicating academic qualifications, professional experience, academic leadership, list of publications, awards, scholarships, funding, membership to professional associations or bodies and linkages, valid email addresses, telephone contacts, copies of certificates, National ID, and other testimonials; These shall be uploaded at the relevant attachment sections within the OUK recruitment portal.
- Applicants with degrees from foreign Universities MUST attach letter(s) of recognition from the Commission for University Education (CUE) as part of the application document.
- Only shortlisted candidates shall be contacted and shall be required to ask three (3) of their referees to share references directly to the University using a system mechanism that shall be provided.
- Compliance with Chapter Six of the Constitution of Kenya will be upheld and any form of canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification.
Note that the Terms of Service will be either Permanent and Pensionable OR Contract, as shall be determined by the University Council.