The Kenyan Ministry of Education has announced that 15 government-funded scholarship positions are available for Kenyan students intending to study in China during the 2027/2028 academic year. According to AllAfrica, the ministry received communication from the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi confirming the availability of these opportunities, which will be distributed through a competitive selection process. The ministry acts as the designated dispatching agent for the programme, meaning all public applications must be routed through its offices in Nairobi before being considered by the Chinese authorities.
Applicants must submit their required documents to the ministry by 5 pm on November 18, 2026. The scholarships cover three levels of study, each with distinct academic and age requirements. Undergraduate candidates must have achieved a minimum Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education mean grade of B (Plain) or equivalent, be under 25 years old, and have completed secondary education within the last three years. Master's applicants need a bachelor's degree with at least Second-Class Upper Division and must be under 35, while PhD candidates require a relevant master's degree and must be under 40.
Undergraduate applicants face an additional requirement to register for and sit the China Scholastic Competence Assessment on December 19, 2026. This online assessment includes compulsory Chinese Language and Mathematics sections, alongside optional Physics and Chemistry tests. A score report from this examination is mandatory for undergraduate scholarship applications. All candidates must first secure pre-admission documents from their preferred Chinese universities before finalising their scholarship application via the China Scholarship Council's official website.
The application process involves uploading a valid passport, certified academic transcripts, a study plan or research proposal, and pre-admission letters. Undergraduate students must submit a study plan of at least 200 words, whereas postgraduate applicants require a research proposal of at least 800 words plus two recommendation letters from professors. Additional mandatory documents include a Foreigner Physical Examination Form and a Certificate of Good Conduct. The Chinese Embassy advised applicants to avoid intermediaries, noting that the China Scholarship Council's website is the primary channel for official information. It also stated that applicants with higher proficiency in the Chinese language would receive preferential consideration during the selection process.