Kenya's Top 2% Scientists 2025

Kenya has 69 scientists on the 2025 single-year Top 2% list, up 21.1% from 57 in 2024. That places Kenya 73rd in the world by number of listed scientists, up 3 places. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi has the most listed scientists (11), followed by International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi (10).

Single Year

+12 (+21.1%) vs 2024

Career Data

+13 (+34.2%) vs 2024

World rank by count

#73

up 3 places vs 2024

Institutes

+1 (+3.3%) vs 2024

Scientists in Kenya on the list, by year

The single-year count has more than doubled since 2020.

Single-year list, change on the previous year

2021+14.7%

2022+2.6%

2023+30.0%

2024+9.6%

2025+21.1%

Show the numbers

Year	Single Year	Change	Career Data	Change
2020	34		34
2021	39	+14.7%	35	+2.9%
2022	40	+2.6%	35	+0.0%
2023	52	+30.0%	38	+8.6%
2024	57	+9.6%	38	+0.0%
2025	69	+21.1%	51	+34.2%

Top 10 institutes in Kenya

By number of listed scientists

Single-year list2025

Show the list

All 69 scientists

Single-year list2025

Everyone on the list, free to browse.

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Rank in Kenya	World rank	Scientist	Institute	Sub-field	Rank in sub-field
1	2,929	TP Thornton, Philip K.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 17
2	11,686	NC Newton, Charles R.J.C.	Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories Nairobi	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 584
3	17,163	OD Obura, David Obare	Coastal Oceans Research and Development in the Indian Ocean	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	Rank 79
4	21,441	TM Temmerman, Marleen I.L.	The Aga Khan University Kenya	Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine	Rank 87
5	33,368	ES Ekesi, Sunday	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 45
6	36,710	HR Harrison, Rhett D.	World Agroforestry Centre	Ecology	Rank 724
7	40,262	QJ Qiu, Jane	Samburu National Park	Neurology & Neurosurgery	Rank 1,833
8	42,517	SR Snow, Robert William	Kenya Medical Research Institute	Tropical Medicine	Rank 37
9	42,697	KM Kassie, Menale B.	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Agricultural Economics & Policy	Rank 50
10	45,354	IA Ismail, Abdelbagi M.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 653
11	48,002	VB Vanlauwe, Bernard	International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 345
12	56,298	YT Young, Truman P.	Mpala Research Centre	Ecology	Rank 1,061
13	62,903	KS Kariuki, Samuel M.	Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative Eastern Africa	Microbiology	Rank 1,206
14	65,657	AA Abajobir, Amanuel Alemu	African Population and Health Research Center	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 877
15	67,938	EP Ericksen, Polly J.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 477
16	73,410	MA Mukherji, Aditi	Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)	Environmental Engineering	Rank 399
17	91,855	BE Barasa, Edwine W.	Kenya Medical Research Institute	Health Policy & Services	Rank 184
18	94,911	FM Fisher, Monica G.	International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) Nairobi	Agricultural Economics & Policy	Rank 103
19	96,183	TC Tanga, Chrysantus M.	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 177
20	96,635	GR Gyasi, Razak M.	African Population and Health Research Center	Geriatrics	Rank 170
21	97,076	SK Sibhatu, Kibrom Tadesse	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Agricultural Economics & Policy	Rank 108
22	98,911	GP Guma, Prince K.	British Institute in Eastern Africa	Geography	Rank 510
23	99,419	VW Van Wijk, M. T.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 703
24	99,535	BM Bodunrin, Michael Oluwatosin	African Academy of Sciences	Materials	Rank 2,228
25	107,552	KP Kumar, Pushpam	United Nations Environment Programme	Toxicology	Rank 401
26	110,929	WY Wado, Yohannes Dibaba	African Population and Health Research Center	Public Health	Rank 1,120
27	111,017	IS Imathiu, Samuel	Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology	Food Science	Rank 1,397
28	114,192	KZ Khan, Zeyaur Rahman	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 210
29	118,616	ML Mirazón Lahr, Marta	Turkana Basin Institute	Anthropology	Rank 141
30	119,350	BJ Berkley, James A.	KEMRI/Welcome Trust Research Programme	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 1,495
31	128,637	AD Amugsi, Dickson Abanimi	African Population and Health Research Center	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 1,587
32	132,399	AA Ajayi, Anthony Idowu	African Population and Health Research Center	Public Health	Rank 1,350
33	137,973	TL Tripathi, Leena	International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)	Plant Biology & Botany	Rank 2,293
34	138,313	EM English, Michael C.	Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories Nairobi	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 1,705
35	140,659	AR Adam, Rodney D.	The Aga Khan University Kenya	Microbiology	Rank 2,738
36	143,190	CM Corbeels, Marc	International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 1,045
37	147,952	MS Maingi, Shem Wambugu	Nairobi	Microbiology	Rank 2,892
38	148,312	MK Marsh, Kevin	Wellcome Trust Research Laboratories Nairobi	Tropical Medicine	Rank 170
39	153,967	NN Noah, Naumih M.	United States International University, Africa	Analytical Chemistry	Rank 1,117
40	163,491	BP Bejon, Philip A.	Centre for Geographic Medicine Research	Microbiology	Rank 3,221
41	165,497	AT Amede, Tilahun	Á propos de lAlliance pour une révolution verte en Afrique	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 1,221
42	177,232	TB Torto, Baldwyn	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 354
43	178,749	AA Abubakar, Amina A.	The Aga Khan University Kenya	Public Health	Rank 1,814
44	206,430	SK Shikuku, Kelvin Mashisia	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 1,588
45	213,627	GA Galiè, Alessandra	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 1,645
46	215,754	KM Kansiime, Monica K.	CABI, Kenya	Entomology	Rank 429
47	242,523	KS Kuyah, Shem	Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology	Forestry	Rank 351
48	257,637	MM Muluneh, Muluken Dessalegn	Amref Health Africa	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 3,010
49	269,435	GH Gitari, Harun I.	Kenyatta University	Agronomy & Agriculture	Rank 2,097
50	272,576	CD Coyne, Danny L.	Nairobi	Zoology	Rank 97
51	274,348	MF Masese, Frank Onderi	University of Eldoret	Marine Biology & Hydrobiology	Rank 1,523
52	280,955	TE Tonnang, Edouard Henri Zefack	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 604
53	285,246	SA Semahegn, Agumasie	Amref Health Africa	Obstetrics & Reproductive Medicine	Rank 1,646
54	286,337	NW Nwagwu, Williams Ezinwa	Technical University of Kenya	Information & Library Sciences	Rank 215
55	287,767	DT Dubois, Thomas	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 627
56	291,283	SS Subramanian, Sevgan	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 636
57	310,184	CL Cicero, Lizette Senyo	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Entomology	Rank 688
58	364,467	GA Githeko, Andrew Karanja	Kenya Medical Research Institute	Tropical Medicine	Rank 530
59	377,721	KJ Kirigia, Joses Muthuri	African Sustainable Development Research Consortium (ASDRC)	Tropical Medicine	Rank 559
60	395,177	JH Jamnadass, H. R.	World Agroforestry	Forestry	Rank 690
61	396,989	AC Arndt, Claudia	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Dairy & Animal Science	Rank 1,315
62	410,261	SS Staedke, Sarah G.	Kenya Medical Research Institute	Tropical Medicine	Rank 611
63	422,897	BB Bett, Bernard K.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Tropical Medicine	Rank 644
64	426,812	AT Achoki, Tom N.	Nairobi	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 4,780
65	444,579	SR Sang, Rosemary C.	International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi	Tropical Medicine	Rank 672
66	449,063	OE Okiro, Emelda Aluoch	Kenya Medical Research Institute	General & Internal Medicine	Rank 5,022
67	468,654	OB Ogutu, Bernhards R.	Kenya Medical Research Institute	Tropical Medicine	Rank 709
68	513,386	KT Knight-Jones, Theodore J.D.	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Veterinary Sciences	Rank 1,199
69	650,286	DM Dione, Michel Maïnack	International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi	Veterinary Sciences	Rank 1,688
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Showing 1 to 69 of 69 Show

Countries with a similar count

Single-year list2025

Lithuania74 scientists

Kuwait73 scientists

Ghana70 scientists

Philippines69 scientists

Iceland66 scientists

Bulgaria63 scientists

Explore other countries

Single-year list2025

Ethiopia194 scientists

Uganda24 scientists

Tanzania23 scientists

Egypt1,106 scientists

South Africa975 scientists

Nigeria291 scientists

All countries on the world map

Frequently asked questions

How many scientists from Kenya are in the 2025 Stanford Top 2% list?

69 scientists affiliated with Kenya are on the 2025 single-year list, and 51 are on the career-long list.

Which institute in Kenya has the most Top 2% scientists?

On the 2025 single-year list, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology Nairobi has the most listed scientists from Kenya, with 11. It is followed by International Livestock Research Institute Nairobi with 10.

How has the number of Top 2% scientists in Kenya changed since 2020?

On the single-year list, Kenya went from 34 scientists in 2020 to 69 in 2025, a change of +102.9%.

What is the difference between the single-year and career-long lists?

The single-year list ranks scientists on the citations their work received in one year. The career-long list ranks them on citations across their whole career. Both lists are published every year, and a scientist can be on one, both or neither.

What is the official source of this data?

The rankings come from the science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators published by Ioannidis et al. in the Elsevier Data Repository, updated every year. TOPSCINET, an independent platform, organises that data by country, year, institute and field, so you can compare and explore it.