A recent report by the Commission for University Education (CUE) has revealed that Kenyan universities are facing a shortage of senior academic staff, particularly professors. As of 2025, there were only 631 professors, representing 3.84 per cent of academic staff, teaching across 38 chartered public universities, 32 chartered private universities, three private universities with Letters of Interim Authority, eight public university constituent colleges, and two private constituent colleges. This shortage is affecting postgraduate supervision and teaching in these institutions.
The CUE report also notes that there is an uneven spread of doctorate holders across academic fields. Business and arts-related courses have more PhD holders than science and technical disciplines. Of the 16,341 academic staff recorded, 8,372, or 63.52 per cent, hold PhDs, while 7,180 have master’s degrees. The regulator found that public chartered universities employ 10,380 academic staff, accounting for 63.52 per cent of the total, while private chartered universities have 5,310 staff, or 32.49 per cent.
CUE Chief Executive Mike Kuria emphasized that the number of professors matters because of their role in supervising students pursuing doctoral degrees. He noted that anyone teaching in a university should have a PhD and aim to become a professor. Kuria recommended that to teach at a particular level, one should have a higher rank, and to supervise a PhD, one should be a professor. The report also raises questions about the distribution of research capacity and postgraduate training across the university sector.
The report highlights a wide gender gap among senior academics. Only 122 of the 631 professors are women, although this is an increase from 93 in 2024. At the associate professor level, there are 290 women compared with 803 men. The report also warns that public universities and constituent colleges are struggling to keep academic staffing in line with student numbers, while private institutions have generally maintained ratios within recommended ranges.
The implications of high student-to-staff ratios are far-reaching, with the report warning of oversized lecture cohorts, unsustainable marking and supervision loads, and diminished faculty availability for student mentoring. Such high ratios constrain the time available for faculty research and professional development, potentially undermining long-term institutional competitiveness. The report also recorded 3,017 cases of student indiscipline in 2025, with examination cheating accounting for 2,803, or 92.9 per cent.
CUE is calling for universities to introduce stronger examination controls, including randomised seating, checks for electronic devices, and electronic signal-suppression measures where legally permitted. The regulator also wants universities to settle disciplinary appeals within 90 days and ensure punishments match the offences and comply with the Universities Act. Prof Kuria noted that every university should have a policy on how to handle cases of cheating.
The CUE report underscores the urgency of investing in examination integrity infrastructure and addressing the shortage of senior academic staff. The regulator had introduced rules requiring university lecturers to hold PhDs in 2014, with an October 2019 deadline for compliance. However, the Universities Academic Staff Union challenged the rules in court, leading to their nullification in December 2019.
Key points
- The shortage of professors in Kenyan universities is affecting postgraduate supervision and teaching.
- Public universities and constituent colleges are struggling to keep academic staffing in line with student numbers.
- Examination cheating is a major challenge in Kenyan universities, accounting for 92.9 per cent of student indiscipline cases.
