Are Kenyan lecturers motivated to teach?

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide a discussion on the overlooked side of motivation among Kenyan lecturers: the motivation to teach. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is generally a review of the current status of lecturer motivation in Kenya in relation to their teaching and research. This has been done anchored on Herzberg's two-factor theory. Findings - While the general belief is that lecturers are more motivated to teach than to engage in research owing to immediacy of returns (from teaching), arguments are given showing that contextual factors may contribute to lecturer demotivation in their teaching. Practical implications - There is need to increase the number of lecturers in higher education in Kenya so as to mitigate against the overwhelming workload affecting many faculty members. A balance between hygiene and motivators should also be borne in mind, especially in relation to teaching and research. Originality/value - The general assumption in literature is that since many lecturers in Kenya are not engaging in research, they must be motivated to teach. This study, however, argues that many contextual challenges do not motivate lecturers in the country to teach.