Abstract This study aimed to describe the protective efficacy of Moringa oleifera ethanolic extract (MOEE) against the impact of cobalt chloride (CoCl2) exposure on the rat's kidney. Fifty male rats were assigned to five equal groups: a control group, a MOEE-administered group (400 mg/kg body weight (bw), daily via gastric tube), a CoCl2-intoxicated group (300 mg/L, daily in drinking water), a protective group, and a therapeutic co-administered group that received MOEE prior to or following and concurrently with CoCl2, respectively. The antioxidant status indices (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and reduced glutathione (GSH)), oxidative stress markers (hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), and malondialdehyde (MDA)), and inflammatory response markers (nitric oxide (NO), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and C-reactive protein (CRP)) were evaluated. The expression profiles of pro-inflammatory cytokines (nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) and interleukin-6 (IL-6)) were also measured by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The results showed that CoCl2 exposure was associated with significant elevations of oxidative stress and inflammatory indices with reductions in the endogenous tissue antioxidants' concentrations. Moreover, CoCl2 enhanced the activity of the NF-kappa B inflammatory-signaling pathway that plays a role in the associated inflammation of the kidney. MOEE ameliorated CoCl2-induced renal oxidative damage and inflammatory injury with the suppression of the mRNA expression pattern of pro-inflammatory cytokine-encoding genes. MOEE is more effective when it is administered with CoCl2 exposure as a prophylactic regimen. In conclusion, MOEE administration exhibited protective effects in counteracting CoCl2-induced renal injury in rats.