Market intelligence for international student recruitment from ICEF

Affordability shaping Kenyan outbound trends

Kenya is one of those markets that is sometimes hard to see clearly. The official stats from UNESCO suggest that outbound mobility has been essentially flat over the past decade. But the fundamentals for this emerging East African market are notably strong. It is home to one of the strongest economies on the continent, and also a booming, youthful population that is projected to exceed 80 million people by 2050. Part of the answer to this apparent contradiction may lie in patterns of income distribution and income growth in Kenya, and in particular that income levels are relatively low overall. A recent Pew Research report points out that only 5% of Kenyans are within a middle-income bracket, as compared to 13% globally. The same report estimates that slightly more than nine in ten Kenyans are in a low-income bracket or living in poverty. This may be due in part to the fact that much of the country’s economy is grounded in resource and agricultural industries, and with a significant proportion of informal employment. In contrast, middle-class, middle-income earners tend to be concentrated in Kenya’s service industries (e.g., finance, insurance) and in the main urban centres of Nairobi and Mombasa. Another factor in the curiously flat trajectory of Kenya’s outbound stats is that, in addition to the student movement tracked by UNESO, there are large numbers of students studying outside of the country in neighbouring East African states, particularly Uganda. This intra-regional mobility has never been well-tracked, and is fuelled in part by Kenyans’ interest in more affordable study destinations. The question of affordability was front and centre in a recent discussion that we had with Amin Esmail. Mr Esmail is the chief executive of Uniserv, a long-established education agency based in Nairobi. As he explains in our first interview segment below, outbound student numbers are almost certainly undercounted and especially where more affordable destinations are concerned. But Mr Esmail also sees a longer-term trend to further growth in the market. “Traditionally, students have not had the same information available to them that they have today,” he points out. “More and more students are looking around, seeing opportunities, and, to a great number, getting pleasant surprises that when we look around the world that there are opportunities [to study overseas] but only that we were unaware of them.” In our second interview segment below, Mr Esmail highlights that the US remains a leading destination for Kenyan students. He notes as well though that India is a major destination in its own right, and one where outbound numbers tend to be greatly understated. The overall picture, however, is one of shifting patterns of demand and destination preferences for Kenyan students as students and families become more and aware of the different study options available to them. “Canada has picked up momentum tremendously,” he says, citing one such shift in student preference. “This has to do partly with the cost of their education…and that it is more student friendly than many countries.” On the question of how to approach recruiting in Kenya, Mr Esmail’s advice is simple: “It is important to have your presence there,” he says. “To visit regularly, and there are always local exhibitions where recruiters are invited and that is one of the opportunities to come and meet students. This is an investment but one that is rewarded by both the quality and quantity of students that you can get from East Africa.” For additional background, please see:

Most Recent

  • Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees Read More
  • Mystery shopping study finds broad improvement in student enquiry handling this year Read More
  • South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule Read More

Most Popular

  • Which countries will contribute the most to global student mobility in 2030? Read More
  • Research shows link between study abroad and poverty alleviation  Read More
  • Beyond the Big Four: How demand for study abroad is shifting to destinations in Asia and Europe Read More

Because you found this article interesting

Australia: With ELICOS under pressure, peak bodies push for reduction in “extortionate” visa fees The latest data from the Department of Education reveals that enrolments in Australia’s ELICOS sector (English Language Intensive...
Read more
South Korea hits its 300,000 student target two years ahead of schedule In 2023, the South Korean government announced a plan to attract 300,000 international students by 2027: 220,000 in...
Read more
Canada: Study permit numbers are in steep decline in 2025 In 2024, the first year under Canada’s current cap on new international student enrolments, the total number of...
Read more
UK confirms levy on international student fees as new analysis argues that government is “drastically underestimating” the impact of the move Updated for 30 September 2025: On 29 September, the Department of Education announced that it would reinstate “means-tested...
Read more
US administration’s new H-1B policies create uncertainty around post-study work rights The H-1B programme is a key policy mechanism for international students in the United States. Aside from the...
Read more
China leverages higher education capacity with expanded TNE partnerships As with most statistics about China, the latest higher education figures are a little dizzying. Enrolment in the...
Read more
France reports more than 443,000 international students in higher education for 2024/25 The latest data release from Campus France reports a record-high foreign enrolment in the country. There were 443,500...
Read more
Foreign enrolment in Canadian K-12 held steady in 2024/25 International student enrolment in public school boards in Canada declined marginally this year. The latest data from the...
Read more
What are you looking for?
Quick Links