Revising academic cultures to improve integrity in Kenyan universities

This paper reviews issues of academic integrity, focusing on unethical practices in Kenyan universities. The rapid expansion of university education in Kenya, followed by a significant decline in the number of qualified students seeking to join private universities since 2017 have created financial pressures on universities. Some universities have resorted to unethical practices to enrol students and offer programmes that have not been accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE). At the same time, there is a growing concern among governments, educators, students, and other stakeholders that unethical practices in higher education are spreading, compromising the integrity of academic programmes. This review suggests strategies that can be put in place to improve academic integrity. The analysis considers what motivates individuals to act unethically, even though doing so contributes to damaging the credibility of the sector. The idea of the prisoner’s dilemma is introduced to explain why it remains in individuals’ interest to act in this way. Based on this, we suggest that changes could be made that shift the balance of risk and reward. These changes can include efforts to detect unethical behaviour; discourage it through more consistent penalties; and to encourage and reward positive alternatives. We propose that everyone in higher education could contribute to these changes, suggesting interventions that could be made by teachers in classrooms; by trainers within universities; and by policy makers nationally. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.