Kenya's universities have yet to build a broad international student population, with Kenyan nationals making up 98.39 per cent of students, according to the Commission for University Education's University Statistics Report 2025. The report, which captured data from 79 universities, shows that foreign students comprise a small proportion of the university population, mainly from neighbouring countries.
The largest group of foreign students came from Uganda, with 1,116 students, followed closely by South Sudan with 1,109 students. Rwanda, Tanzania, and the Democratic Republic of Congo also had a significant presence, with 850, 737, and 566 students respectively. Other countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas had relatively small numbers of students.
The report attributes the concentration of foreign students from neighbouring countries to geographical proximity, cultural affinity, cost competitiveness, and relative political stability. It notes that a predominantly domestic student population limits opportunities for exchange of global perspectives and may limit opportunities for local students to develop intercultural competencies.
The Commission for University Education recommends stronger international recruitment strategies to attract a more geographically diverse student population. This can be achieved through diversification of programmes, promoting uptake in STEM, engineering, agriculture, and advanced technology. The commission also suggests that restrictive visa processes, limited international marketing, and insufficient student support services may be contributing to the low number of international students.
Scaling up foreign students' presence in Kenya comes with financial gain, as a pool of international students could provide an avenue for universities to diversify their revenue sources. The report notes that expanding international enrolment could reduce universities' heavy reliance on domestic funding while improving their financial sustainability.
To attract students from a wider geographical spread, the commission proposes targeted scholarship programmes, expansion of transnational education, and stronger international collaborations. The report also highlights the need to balance Kenya's established regional appeal with broader global outreach, as the limited presence of students from Asia, Europe, and the Americas suggests that Kenya's universities have yet to translate their regional position into a more globally diverse student market.
The findings come as Kenya's university sector continues to expand, hitting a record 707,150 students in 2025, a 12.5 per cent increase from 2024. The Commission for University Education says internationalisation should form part of the sector's broader effort to improve competitiveness and ensure that continued expansion is matched by greater global engagement.
Key points
- Kenyan universities are struggling to attract foreign students, with Kenyan nationals making up 98.39 per cent of students.
- The concentration of foreign students from neighbouring countries is attributed to geographical proximity, cultural affinity, cost competitiveness, and relative political stability.
- The Commission for University Education recommends stronger international recruitment strategies to attract a more geographically diverse student population.
