Research Journals in Kenya: A Verified List

Searching for a list of journals in Kenya? This guide gathers Kenyan research journals along with their publisher, subject and reported indexing, and points to the university journal platforms where many more can be found. It is intended for students, postgraduates and lecturers in Nairobi, Kenya; Eldoret, Kenya; Kisumu, Kenya; Mombasa, Kenya and throughout the country.

Kenya’s Academic Publishing Landscape

The Commission for University Education (CUE) regulates Kenya’s universities. It accredits institutions and sets standards for higher education, among them the hiring and promotion of academic staff, for which refereed publications carry weight. Research licensing and coordination fall to the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI), which has additionally developed national guidelines for accrediting academic journals, showing that journal quality is a policy priority.

Kenyan journals come mainly from three kinds of publisher: universities — Kabarak, Maseno, Egerton, Moi, JKUAT, Kenyatta University and the University of Nairobi, among others, run their own online journal systems — research institutes such as KEMRI, and professional bodies such as the Kenya Medical Association, which publishes the East African Medical Journal. AJFAND, a long-established journal on food, agriculture and nutrition in Africa, is also based in Nairobi.

African Journals Online lists many of these titles. Which journals count for theses, promotions and grant reports is determined by your university’s present guidelines, so verify the requirement before drawing up a shortlist. Keeping a written copy of that rule can save disputes later.

Directory of Research Journals in Kenya

The journals below are issued in Kenya by recognisable universities, societies or research bodies. The “reported coverage” column records what each journal or its publisher claims; check any indexing in Scopus Sources or the Master Journal List prior to submitting.

Checked on 4 October 2026 against every journal's website or publisher. Treat this as a place to start, not a ranking or a complete directory of journals for Kenya.

Online Journal Platforms and Directories to Use

Kenyan journals are scattered across university systems, AJOL and international directories. Begin with the resources below, then submit via the website of the journal you choose. Bookmarking each platform keeps your search organised.

Kenya’s Main Research Hubs

Most research in Kenya clusters in Nairobi, though it also reaches university towns throughout the country. The cities below are home to leading universities and research institutes.

Picking the Right Journal

Let your own requirement, not a ready-made list, guide the choice of journal. Get written confirmation of what your university or funder accepts, shortlist journals whose recent papers resemble yours, and read their instructions for authors before touching the formatting. A backup journal saves weeks if the first one says no. Keep a note of each journal's aims and scope as you shortlist.

Fees and Affordable Options

Kenyan journals each set their own fees. University journals frequently levy modest processing or publication charges in Kenyan shillings, some levy none, and international journals may bill APCs in US dollars. Read the fee statement on the journal’s official website before you submit, and check what the fee includes. Saved copies of that statement are handy if questions arise afterwards.

Keep to three rules: pay only after a genuine acceptance with reviewer comments, pay only through the journal’s official channel, and ask about waivers. By way of comparison, JMVRA's fee for foreign authors is $41 USD, due only after acceptance and covering up to five authors.

For the full comparison method, read our guide to low-cost journal publication, whose checks work in any country, and how low-fee journals meet their costs.

Checking a Journal Step by Step

• Open the ISSN register record and check that the full title is identical.
• Confirm that every editorial board member can be traced and really works at the affiliation listed.
• Expect a named peer-review type, supported by real reviewer reports.
• Do not take an indexing claim on trust; search Scopus Sources or the Master Journal List yourself.
• Do not make any payment ahead of a genuine acceptance.

Checklist Before You Submit a Manuscript

1. Venue confirmedScope, requirement and indexing looked at
2. Template in useLayout, reference style and length
3. Similarity clearedEvery source cited, your own publications too
4. Ethics coveredApprovals and consent recorded; conflicts declared
5. Author details exactNames and affiliations in the form they will appear
6. Cover letter readyThe argument for placing this paper in this journal

Practical Tips for Kenyan Authors Building a Publication Record

Kenyan researchers are often asked to show a steady record of publication for appointments and grants. These tips help you grow that record carefully, with attention to credibility and long-term visibility.

• Create and maintain a researcher profile. Register for a persistent author identifier and keep your profile up to date. It helps readers separate you from authors with similar names and gathers your outputs in one place.
• Build a pipeline of papers. Keep several manuscripts at different stages, such as drafting, under review and revising. This reduces the pressure on any single paper and keeps your output steady.
• Include policy implications honestly. For applied studies in agriculture, health or education, state practical implications without overstating them. Clear, modest recommendations are more persuasive to reviewers and to decision makers.
• Write with early-career colleagues. Pair junior staff with experienced authors and agree on tasks from the outset. Shared writing builds skills across the department and improves the quality of drafts.
• Keep copies of accepted versions. Store your accepted manuscript and follow the journal's permitted sharing rules for repositories. This protects access to your own work if a journal website later changes.

Maintain a clear author profile, keep several papers moving at once and share work only in the ways each journal permits.

Questions Researchers Often Ask

Summary and What to Do Next

Kenya’s journal scene is driven by its universities and research institutes, with a few internationally indexed titles in medicine and food science. Treat the list as a starting point, check your own requirement, confirm details at the source and submit via the journal’s own website. A short comparison table of your shortlisted journals can make the final choice easier.

1. Get your institution to confirm in writing what it requires for publication.
2. Build a shortlist from the table and read some recent papers from each journal.
3. To verify indexing, see our Kenya-focused guide to Scopus and Web of Science journals.
4. Prepare the manuscript in the journal's template and submit it through that journal's own site.

References and Sources

Checked on 4 October 2026. Indexing, fees and policies can change, so check them again before submitting.

• Commission for University Education
• NACOSTI
• African Journals Online
• AJFAND
• KEMRI — African Journal of Health Sciences
• University of Nairobi Journals
• JKUAT journals
• Scopus Sources
• Clarivate Master Journal List
• ISSN Portal