Kabarak University Vice-Chancellor Prof Henry Kiplagat[Courtesy]
As universities face increasing pressure to demonstrate the relevance, quality and impact of their programmes, Kabarak University is carving out a niche through a combination of academic quality, research, innovation, industry partnerships and international engagement.
The university offers programmes aimed at preparing students for a changing labour market while responding to emerging national and global challenges.
Under Vice-Chancellor Prof. Henry Kiplagat, the institution has continued to focus on strengthening academic quality, research capacity, partnerships and innovation.
In the 2026 Times Higher Education World University Rankings, Kabarak was ranked Kenya’s top private university and fifth overall in the country. The university was among only 11 Kenyan institutions included in the global ranking, which considers areas such as teaching, research, research quality, international outlook and industry engagement.
The ranking followed other national and regional recognitions, including Kabarak’s naming as Best Performing Higher Learning Institution in Kenya at the 2025 Africa Champions Awards. The university has also recorded successes at the East African Community Regional Quality Awards and the Kenya Quality Awards.
For Kabarak, however, rankings are only one measure of institutional progress. Increasingly, the university is seeking to demonstrate its relevance through what happens in its laboratories, classrooms, research centres and partnerships.