Kenya's university sector has recorded a rise in staff research publications, with a 12.5% increase in 2025, according to the University Statistics Report 2025 released by the Commission for University Education (CUE). The report shows that staff publications increased from 5,351 in 2024 to 6,018 in 2025, the highest level recorded over the three years covered by the report. This growth was driven largely by public and private chartered universities.
Despite the growth in staff publications, the report reveals a decline in student publications and staff innovations. Student publications dropped by 25.1% from 2,791 in 2024 to 2,091 in 2025, while staff innovations fell by 31.3% from 201 to 138. However, student innovations more than doubled from 196 to 304, representing a 55.1% increase and the highest level recorded during the three years.
The report attributes the growth in staff publications to public and private chartered universities, which accounted for virtually all recorded research output. Public chartered universities produced 4,019 staff publications, representing 66.8% of the 2025 total, while private chartered universities recorded 1,682 staff publications, or 27.9% of the total.
The decline in student publications was sharp, with a drop from 2,791 in 2024 to 2,091 in 2025. The report notes that the 2024 figure was partly inflated by an unusual contribution from institutions with Letters of Interim Authority, which recorded 208 student publications in 2024 but only 12 in 2025. Even after accounting for this distortion, the Commission says student research output remains an area requiring attention.
The report also highlights a disconnect between the growth in scholarly publications and the ability of universities to translate research into innovations. The decline in staff innovations was even sharper, with universities recording 138 staff innovations in 2025, down from 201 in 2024 and 149 in 2023. In contrast, student innovations rose from 174 in 2023 to 196 in 2024 and 304 in 2025.
The Commission for University Education cautions that the research figures themselves should be interpreted alongside persistent weaknesses in university reporting. The report says data on publications and innovations "continue to be difficult to verify", with some university submissions lacking essential information. The Commission is urging universities to maintain comprehensive publication registers and ensure reported research outputs contain sufficient verification details.
The research figures present a mixed picture, with universities producing more staff publications, students generating more innovations, but fewer student publications and staff innovations being recorded. The report points to a research system that is expanding in volume without uniform improvement across the different stages of knowledge production. CUE says strengthening research and innovation capacity should remain a priority as the university sector shifts from expansion towards quality, relevance and competitiveness.
Key points
- Staff publications in Kenyan universities increased by 12.5% in 2025, reaching a three-year high.
- Student publications in Kenyan universities declined by 25.1% in 2025, while student innovations more than doubled.
- The report highlights persistent weaknesses in university reporting, with data on publications and innovations remaining difficult to verify.
