Social Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Governance

The Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership and Governance is a postgraduate research programme offered at JKUAT through the School of Business and Economics. The programme trains scholars to conduct advanced research on leadership theory, governance practices, organisational behaviour, and public sector management, contributing to effective leadership and governance in Kenya's public, private, and non-profit sectors.

Students engage with advanced leadership theory, governance frameworks, organisational behaviour, public policy, ethics, and research methodology. The programme combines coursework with thesis research, requiring candidates to develop a research proposal, conduct independent field and organisational research, and produce a doctoral dissertation that makes an original contribution to leadership and governance.

Kenya faces leadership and governance challenges including corruption, weak institutions, and the need for transformative leadership in both public and private sectors. The programme addresses national priorities under Vision 2030 and the Constitution's governance reforms by training researchers who can inform leadership development, governance improvement, and institutional strengthening.

Teaching methods include lectures, case studies, organisational research, policy analysis, leadership assessment, and supervised thesis work. Students have access to JKUAT's business and management resources and collaborate with government institutions, private sector organisations, and governance bodies.

Graduates pursue careers as university lecturers, leadership researchers, governance consultants, public administrators, and management consultants in universities, government, international organisations, and private sector companies.

This programme is ideal for holders of a Master's degree in leadership, governance, business administration, public administration, or related fields who are committed to advancing knowledge in leadership and governance.

Duration: 3 years
Public, up to: Ksh 280,000
Private, up to: Ksh 333,533
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time, Part-time
Attachment: 0 months
Average class: 8 students
Award: PhD

What you study

10 subjects

Leadership Theory
Governance Frameworks
Organisational Behaviour
Public Policy and Administration
Ethics and Integrity
Research Methodology
Strategic Leadership
Thesis Research
Statistics for Management Research
Change Management

Modules

10 in the programme

Advanced Leadership Theory and Practice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Advanced leadership theories including transformational, transactional, servant, and adaptive leadership with applications to African contexts
Governance Frameworks and Institutional Analysis
Year 1Semester 23 creditsCore
Governance frameworks including corporate governance, public governance, institutional analysis, and governance reforms in Kenya
Organisational Behaviour and Change
Year 1Semester 33 creditsCore
Advanced organisational behaviour including motivation, culture, power, organisational change, and change management strategies
Public Policy and Administration
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Public policy analysis including policy processes, implementation, evaluation, and public administration reforms in Kenya
Ethics, Integrity and Anti-Corruption
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Ethics and integrity in leadership including ethical decision-making, anti-corruption strategies, and institutional integrity frameworks
Strategic Leadership and Decision Making
Year 2Semester 33 creditsCore
Strategic leadership including strategic planning, decision analysis, risk management, and strategic execution in organisations
Research Methodology and Statistics
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Quantitative and qualitative research methods for leadership and governance research including survey design and case study research
Comparative Governance and Public Sector Reform
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Comparative analysis of governance systems and public sector reforms across countries with applications to Kenya's devolution and governance reforms
Thesis Proposal Development
Year 3Semester 33 creditsCore
Development and defence of a doctoral research proposal on a leadership and governance topic
Thesis Research and Writing
Year 4Semester 16 creditsCore
Independent doctoral research culminating in a thesis defended before internal and external examiners

Specialisations

Political Science and Governance
Specialization in Political Science and Governance, preparing graduates for careers such as political-science.
Academic Research in Business
Specialization in Academic Research in Business, preparing graduates for careers such as university-lecturer.
Corporate Governance Practice
Specialization in Corporate Governance Practice, preparing graduates for careers such as corporate-governance-officer.
Governance Advisory
Specialization in Governance Advisory, preparing graduates for careers such as governance-advisor-junior.
Management Consultancy
Specialization in Management Consultancy, preparing graduates for careers such as management-consultant.
Governance Program Management
Specialization in Governance Program Management, preparing graduates for careers such as governance-program-manager.

A day as a student

A typical day combines organisational research with leadership case analysis, policy research, data analysis from governance studies, literature review, and thesis writing. Students attend business and governance research seminars, present findings at departmental colloquia, and engage with KSG and EACC for governance research.

The trade offs

In its favour

Addresses Kenya's critical leadership and governance challenges
Relatively affordable tuition at KES 244,800 per year
Strong institutional links with KSG, EACC, and UNDP
Diverse career paths in academia, government, consulting, and international organisations

Against it

Research on governance can be politically sensitive
Research funding for governance studies is limited
Access to organisational data for research can be restricted
Leadership and governance PhD is less specialised than functional business PhDs

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public237k to 280k

237k at University of Nairobi280k at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

Private200k to 334k

200k at Mount Kenya University334k at Kabarak University

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

UoN 237K/yr avg (uonbi.ac.ke). JKUAT 280K/yr (kenyaplex). Kabarak 334K/yr. MKU 200K unverified.

Students may access HELB postgraduate loans, DAAD scholarships, NRF research grants, and UNDP research fellowships for leadership and governance research.

Funding options

HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000
DAAD Scholarship
Scholarship
NRF Research Grant
Grant
UNDP Research Fellowship
Fellowship

Scholarships

3 recorded

NRF Research Grant
GrantKenyan
Researchers at Kenyan institutions conducting research relevant to national development
HELB Postgraduate Loan
LoanKsh 80,000Kenyan
Kenyan postgraduate students enrolled in recognised universities
DAAD Scholarship
ScholarshipKenyan
African graduates meeting academic criteria for doctoral study

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: Relevant diploma or equivalent qualification

Master's Degree
Master's degree in Leadership, Governance, Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field from a recognised university
Undergraduate qualification
Bachelor's degree in Business, Social Sciences, or related field
Research capability
Evidence of research ability through publications, reports, or academic work

How you are assessed

4 components

Thesis Examination
Coursework100% of the mark
Oral Viva Voce
Coursework100% of the mark
Continuous Assessment Tests (CATs)
Coursework30% of the mark
Case Study and Research Reports
Coursework20% of the mark

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE).

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Mandatory accreditation for all university programmes in Kenya

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

4 roles

Management Consultant
Moderate demandKsh 90,000 to Ksh 200,000
Advises organisations on leadership development, governance, and organisational change
Governance Advisor
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Advises government and international organisations on governance reforms
Governance Program Manager
Moderate demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Manages governance programmes at UNDP, NGOs, or government institutions
University Lecturer (Leadership/Governance)
High demandKsh 80,000 to Ksh 180,000
Teaches leadership and governance and conducts research in university business schools

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as university lecturers, leadership researchers, governance consultants, and management consultants in universities, government, international organisations, and private sector companies.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Leadership and governance is just about management training
Leadership and governance encompasses leadership theory, governance frameworks, organisational behaviour, public policy, ethics, and institutional analysis, requiring rigorous academic research training.
A PhD in leadership and governance has limited career prospects
Kenya's governance challenges and the need for transformative leadership create demand for researchers and consultants at universities, government, KSG, and international organisations.
Leadership and governance research is not relevant to Kenya
Kenya's Constitution introduced governance reforms including devolution, public participation, and accountability, making leadership and governance research critical for implementation.
Leadership and governance is only for those who want to be managers
Graduates work as researchers, policy analysts, governance consultants, and educators, not only as managers. The programme focuses on research and knowledge generation.