In a landmark shift within Kenya’s higher education landscape, Kenyatta University has officially overtaken the University of Nairobi (UoN) as the country’s top-ranked institution.
This significant development was highlighted in the recently released 2025 Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings on October 9, 2024.
Kenyatta University’s ascent to the top signifies a blow to the University of Nairobi, which experienced a dramatic decline, falling 20 places in the global rankings within the span of just one year.
The downward trajectory of UoN can largely be attributed to a combination of funding shortages, staffing challenges, and recent unrest among lecturers, who just concluded a nationwide strike over remuneration issues, hurting the institution’s academic performance.
Of the 54 universities ranked from 15 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the University of Cape Town in South Africa retains its status as the region’s highest-ranked institution, albeit dropping to joint 180th globally from last year’s 167th position.
Despite its impressive regional ranking, Kenyatta University’s rise reflects a growing acknowledgement of its academic programs and research contributions.
Nigerian institutions also fared well in the rankings, with Covenant University maintaining its position as Nigeria’s highest-ranked university, falling within the band of 801-1000. Nigeria boasts the most represented universities in the rankings, totaling 21, while South Africa and Ghana follow with 14 and four ranked institutions, respectively.
Meanwhile, the University of Cape Coast in Ghana also saw a decline, dropping from the 601-800 band to join the 801-1000 range—a reflection of the wide-ranging challenges faced by universities across the continent. In East Africa, Ethiopia’s Jimma University, Mauritius’ University of Mauritius, and Uganda’s Makerere University all faced significant drops as well, now positioned in the 1201-1500 band.
Globally, the THE World University Rankings continues to be led by the University of Oxford in the UK, which has held the top position for an impressive nine consecutive years. Following closely are the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, ranked second and third, respectively.
The 2025 edition of THE World University Rankings has expanded significantly, evaluating over 2,000 institutions using 18 performance indicators across five key pillars: teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and internationalization. This comprehensive approach solidifies its status as the most inclusive and diverse global university ranking available.
As Kenyatta University celebrates its newfound status, the eye remains on institutions like the University of Nairobi to address the multifaceted challenges they face in enhancing their academic reputations and global standings. The shift in rankings reflects not only the competitive landscape of higher education in Kenya but also the inherent potential of universities in Sub-Saharan Africa to rise on a global scale.
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