Decolonising Epidemiology: A Scoping Review of Race and Ethnicity Variables in Kenyan Health Research, 2021–2026

This scoping review critically examines the operationalisation of race and ethnicity variables in epidemiological and public health research conducted in Kenya between 2021 and 2026. Its objective is to interrogate how these socially constructed categories are defined, measured, and interpreted, assessing alignment with decolonial principles that challenge imported, racialised frameworks. Adhering to the Arksey and O’Malley framework, we systematically searched multiple academic databases for relevant peer-reviewed articles. Data were extracted and synthesised using thematic analysis to map conceptual and methodological approaches. Our findings indicate a persistent, often uncritical, adoption of Western racial classifications. Ethnicity is frequently conflated with tribal affiliation or employed as a crude proxy for socio-economic or genetic determinants, without adequate justification. A key gap identified is the scarcity of research integrating indigenous Kenyan epistemologies to define group identities pertinent to health. The review concludes that this conceptual imprecision perpetuates a colonial legacy within local data systems, risks obscuring genuine social determinants of health, and may reinforce biological essentialism. This analysis underscores the necessity for a decolonised epidemiological practice in Africa, advocating for Kenyan researchers and institutions to develop contextually grounded, reflexive methodologies for population categorisation that accurately capture the social dynamics shaping health inequities.