Scholarships and programmes in Kenya for Africans 2027

What is hosted in Kenya?

AfriWay tracks 4 open programmes hosted in Kenya, and each one comes from a different funder. There is one entry in scholarships, one in grants, one in competitions and one in accelerators. Two of the 4 are fully funded.

The shape of this list says something about Kenya's role on the continent. It is a study destination for its neighbours, a base for regional grant programmes and a hub for start-up support, all at once. Nothing here is aimed at students from outside Africa.

That has a practical consequence. Because these programmes were designed for applicants who already live in the region, they ask for documents you probably have rather than for translated and apostilled paperwork. What they ask for instead is speed, since the regional windows are short.

The East African Masters scholarship

One entry dominates the others in scale. Inter-University Council for East Africa Master’s Scholarships (closed) from the Inter-University Council for East Africa funds 120 awards across a two-year Masters, hosted in Kenya, Rwanda or Tanzania.

The package is unusually complete. It covers full tuition paid directly to the host university, a return economy air ticket at the start and end of studies, medical insurance for the whole period, and visa or student pass fees where they apply. On top of that come four separate allowances: an arrival allowance of EUR 200, a monthly stipend of EUR 380 for accommodation, meals and local transport, a lump sum of EUR 650 for study materials and a one-time research allowance of EUR 1,500.

Fields are restricted to mathematics, engineering, computing, the natural sciences and business. Applicants must be 35 or under and must apply in English. The window opened on 20 August 2026 and closes on 10 September 2026 at 17:00 East African time, which makes it the tightest deadline on this page.

With 120 awards on offer, the odds here are better than on almost anything else this site lists. Most competitive scholarships name a handful of winners. This one funds a whole cohort, which changes how you should weigh the effort of applying against the chance of success.

Who can apply, and from which countries?

Each programme draws its own map, so check yours before reading further.

The Masters scholarship is for citizens of eight countries: Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project (closed) from Interartsfunding works across twelve: Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It funds organisations rather than individuals, with up to EUR 42,000 for an innovation project running 12 months from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2027.

Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2026-2027 for young changemakers from Ashoka takes applicants in Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and the United States, and the in-person convening happens in Kenya on 26 July 2027.

Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9: food-systems venture programme with USD 28,000 grants from Jasiri is for citizens of Kenya, Rwanda and Ethiopia, including those living abroad.

Money and age limits

Read the age line before the money line, because three of these four cap it. Age is the single most common reason an otherwise strong application here is never read, and unlike a weak essay it cannot be fixed.

The Masters scholarship and the innovation grant both stop at 35. The civic leadership challenge stops at 20, which makes it the only entry here aimed at school-age applicants. The accelerator sets no upper age but expects years of professional work behind you.

Amounts vary by an order of magnitude. Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2026-2027 for young changemakers awards 66 prizes across three countries, from USD 250 for a Civic Promise Award through USD 1,000 for finalists to USD 5,000 for the six grand prize winners. Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9: food-systems venture programme with USD 28,000 grants gives USD 28,000 per new venture, paid in three milestone-gated tranches, and covers travel, accommodation and health insurance during a residential phase across a 13-month programme.

The deadline calendar

Four months separate the first date from the last, and one entry never closes.

• 10 September 2026 at 17:00 East African time for the Masters scholarship, Inter-University Council for East Africa Master’s Scholarships (closed)
• 23 September 2026 for the youth innovation grant, Interartsfunding Youth Action Lab Innovation Grants Project (closed)
• 30 January 2027 at 23:59 Eastern time for the civic leadership challenge, Carnegie Challenge for Civic Leadership 2026-2027 for young changemakers
• rolling, with applications reviewed as they arrive, for the venture accelerator, Jasiri Talent Investor Cohort 9: food-systems venture programme with USD 28,000 grants

The first of these is days away rather than weeks. If you are eligible for it, stop reading and open the official page now, because a two-year funded Masters is not something to postpone for a smaller award with a later date.

The rolling entry deserves a different reading. It has no closing date, but places fill as strong candidates arrive, so applying in September is not the same as applying in December even though both are technically on time.

How to prepare an application in this cycle

Match the entity to the programme first. Two of these four take applications from individuals and two do not work that way: the innovation grant is submitted by a registered organisation with a project plan and a budget, and the accelerator assesses individuals but expects them to form teams and register a company later.

Prepare admission and funding in parallel where a degree is involved. The Masters scholarship is tied to a host university, so you need a programme choice and, in most cases, an admission file moving at the same time as the scholarship form. Leaving the university application until after a scholarship result is the most common way to lose a year.

Write in English. Three of the 4 state it directly, and the fourth runs its selection process in English by default. This is not a formality: an application in another language is set aside without review.

Finally, plan for what happens after selection. The accelerator asks for full-time commitment and relocation for a residential phase. The competition invites award winners to an in-person convening in Kenya during the week of 26 July 2027, with travel and accommodation covered. The grant runs a full calendar year of project delivery. None of these is a cheque you collect and forget.