Kenya has about 20 public universities and about 23 private universities. The salaries of private universities vary depending on financing and the number of students the university admit.
The average salary of an assistant lecturer, an individual with a masters degree, is Ksh 90,000-Ksh 120,000 in public universities while private universities pay the Assistant lecturers average salary of Ksh 80,000.
The highest paying private universities include Strathmore University,Kabarak University,Daystar University and USIU.The salary of PhD holders at these universities is Ksh 200,000 while professors earn Ksh 250,000-Ksh 350,000.
Public universities on the other hand pay PhD holders Ksh 180,000-Ksh 220,000 while professors earn Ksh 250,000-Ksh 300,000.
When you compare working for either private or public universities, you will notice that private universities pay better than public universities but the job security is not guaranteed. Since the difference in salaries is not huge, working in public universities is better than private ones.
