University of Nairobi Press (UONP) is a semi-autonomous publishing house owned by the University of Nairobi. It serves the three paramount functions of a university, namely: teaching, research and dissemination of results of scholarly inquiry. Publishing is a primary means of dissemination. A university press is therefore crucial in the realisation of the functions of a university, hence the University of Nairobi Press.

As an effective agent for the dissemination of research findings and communication of scholarly knowledge, UONP draws majority of its authors from among scholars in the universities and research institutions world wide.