Paper short abstract:

Researchers in developing countries face many challenges in their research environments, limiting their capability and capacity to produce knowledge. This paper brings to light the challenges faced by the academic research community in Kenya, and the associated global inequalities.

Paper long abstract:

Research forms an important development agenda of any nation. However, research environments differ between regions and nations resulting in global inequalities in the production and consumption of the outputs of research. This paper presents the findings of a study that sought to explore the major challenges facing research work in Kenya. The study employed a mixed methods research design involving 248 academic scientists in four disciplines across four public universities in Kenya. The results indicate major challenges facing research work as including problems of funding and access to special equipment, scarce information resources, rigid bureaucratic structures and processes in Kenyan universities, lack of and/or insufficient policies, weak links with industry, stiff competition among the universities and non-observation of research ethics. All of these undermine the research processes. The results are discussed in the light of the resulting global inequalities, by making references to the differences in research and knowledge production processes between the developed world and the Kenyan case. The subsequent recommendations provide guidelines for addressing the challenges, towards the promotion and improvement of research environments in Kenya and developing countries in general.