More than 20 Kenyan doctoral students in Germany face deportation. The Kenyan government failed to send money to DAAD. DAAD runs a joint scholarship programme with Kenya. Without the funds, the students cannot stay in Germany legally.

A letter from the students to the Kenyan government shows the scale of the problem. Thirteen doctoral students are directly affected. Ten are in their third year. Three are in their second year. The funding halt has put all of them at risk.

The scholarship programme helps Kenyan researchers. They work in fields like engineering, agriculture, health, and environmental sciences. Under the agreement, Kenya had to send its share of the funding to DAAD. DAAD would then pay for living costs, health insurance, and study expenses. But Kenya has not paid for more than one year.

How the Crisis Unfolded

DAAD sent many reminders to Kenya’s Ministry of Education. No money arrived. So DAAD stopped the monthly stipends. One student wrote a letter shared publicly. The student said: “I am writing to you as one of the Kenyan government scholarship holders whose funding was terminated due to the government’s failure to pay DAAD in Germany. This leaves us in a dire situation. Our studies have stopped. We face uncertainty about our academic futures. We have tried writing to the government without success.”

Without the stipend, the Kenyan doctoral students in Germany face deportation. German law requires international students to show proof of funds. They need about €11,000 per year in a blocked account. Without the DAAD money, most students cannot meet this requirement.

The students’ residence permits depend on their scholarships. According to their letter, their permits expired in September 2025. If the government does not act fast, they will lose their legal status. Then authorities will deport them.

Broken Promises and No Clear Answer

The original scholarships were for 45 months. Now the funding has stopped. The students still need between nine and 21 more months to finish their PhDs. That period starts from October 2025.

The Kenyan government has not made a public statement. DAAD says it cannot help without Kenya’s payment. A DAAD spokesperson said: “We value our partnership with Kenya. But we cannot continue funding without the agreed contributions from Kenya. We are in talks with the government to find a solution.”

DAAD does offer other scholarships to Kenyan students. These include the Helmut-Schmidt Programme (€992 monthly), Leadership for Africa, and Hilde Domin Programme for at-risk researchers. But these are separate programmes. They do not fix the current crisis.

Losing These Students Hurts Kenya

If the Kenyan doctoral students in Germany face deportation, Kenya loses a lot. These students research problems that matter to Kenya. For example, they study drought-resistant crops, renewable energy, and disease control. Deportation would waste years of training. It would also waste millions of shillings that Kenya already spent on their preparation.

The crisis could also hurt future partnerships between Kenya and Germany. German universities may not trust new joint programmes. They will worry that Kenya might not honor its payments again.

What Can the Students Do?

 The students have few legal options. In their appeal to Kenya’s National Research Fund (NRF), they wrote: “We appeal to NRF to find a way to continue supporting us for the remaining period of our studies. Completing a doctoral programme while looking for other funding is very hard.”

Some students have asked German immigration for more time. But without proof of money, those requests will likely fail. A few students are looking for part-time work or other scholarships. But doctoral studies take a lot of time and energy. Working enough to pay all living costs would leave little time for research.

The best solution is simple. Kenya must release the unpaid money right away. Even a partial payment would allow DAAD to restart the stipends. That would help the students get back their legal status.

Time Is Running Out

Every week matters. More than 20 young Kenyan researchers face a deadline. Without urgent help, the Kenyan doctoral students in Germany face deportation. A dream will end early. Kenya needs more local experts. This crisis is not just a paperwork failure. It is a national loss.

Read more news: https://www.kenyanewsupdates.co.ke/2026/04/04/equity-bank-jobs-kenya-2026/