About the Journal

The Kenyan Journal of Criminological Research is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal that publishes original research, policy analysis, and theoretical contributions in the field of criminology, criminal justice, and related disciplines. The journal provides a platform for African and global scholars to explore contemporary crime-related challenges, justice sector reforms, forensic innovation, and social responses to insecurity and victimization.

Focus and Scope

The journal welcomes scholarly submissions on:

  • Criminological theories and methods

  • Policing, security, and law enforcement

  • Judicial processes and criminal law

  • Correctional systems and offender rehabilitation

  • Forensics and crime scene investigation

  • Gender, youth, and vulnerable populations in crime

  • Cybercrime, terrorism, and organized crime

  • Victim rights and community safety

  • Crime and development in East Africa

The journal prioritizes research rooted in African realities and policy contexts, but also accepts comparative and international work relevant to the region.

Open Access and Licensing

The journal follows a Gold Open Access model. All published articles are freely accessible to the public without subscription barriers. However, to support open-access publishing and editorial operations, the journal charges an Article Processing Charge (APC) after peer review and acceptance.

License: All content is published under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. This allows others to remix, adapt, and build upon the work non-commercially, with appropriate credit to the authors.

Article Processing Charges (APCs)

Authors are required to pay a modest publication fee upon acceptance of their manuscript. The APC helps cover the costs of peer review coordination, editorial work, digital archiving, and open-access hosting. Fee waivers or discounts may be granted in cases of financial hardship or for authors from low-income institutions, subject to editorial board approval.

Details of current APCs are provided on the journal’s submission page.

Copyright

Authors retain full copyright of their work. Upon publication, the journal is granted a non-exclusive license to distribute the article under the stated open access terms.

Archiving and Digital Preservation

The Kenyan Journal of Criminological Research is committed to the long-term preservation of published content. Articles are archived in secure digital repositories and included in LOCKSS and CLOCKSS systems for redundancy and global access.

Privacy Statement

All personal data collected through the submission process (names, emails, affiliations) will be used solely for the editorial workflow and will not be shared with third parties or used for commercial purposes.

Sponsorship and Publishing

The journal is independently managed and published with support from academic contributors, research professionals, and institutional networks in Kenya and the Eastern African region. It operates with editorial independence and adheres to international publication ethics.

Journal History

Launched in 2025, the Kenyan Journal of Criminological Research responds to the growing demand for contextually grounded criminological scholarship in Africa. It aims to influence practice and policy by promoting evidence-based, ethically conducted, and socially impactful research.