Despite Kenya passing the Science, Technology and Innovation Act in 2013 to establish the National Research Fund, the country is still struggling to fund research and innovations, a meeting on the matter in Naivasha was told on Tuesday.

According to the law, two per cent of the national domestic product (GDP) is supposed to be allocated to the National Research Fund (NRF). As a case in point, the 2025-26 budget has not allocated any money to NRF to carry out its mandate.

Consequently, Kenya is laying plans to source extra funding for the research sector to support and spur the innovation for locally bred ideas. The move follows the national government failure to meet the two per cent allocation threshold of the national domestic product to fund research, science and innovation as provided by law.

By enacting the law, parliament tasked the National Research Fund with the necessary funding provisions to drive innovations and help commercialise research locally.

However, inadequate funding for the sector has seen Kenya being ranked 96th out of 132 countries in the 2024 Global Innovation Index, which measures institutions’ capacity, human capital, research infrastructure and creative output.

Research, Science and Innovation Principal Secretary Shaukat Abdulrazak has said there is a need to boost necessary funding to stimulate and strengthen research to address Kenya’s socio-economic challenges.

However, official data from the National Research Fund shows that the National Treasury allocated a mere Ksh343 million ($2.7 million) for research in the 2023/ 2024 financial year out of the possible Ksh200 billion ($1.544 million) needed annually as per to conform to the 2013 act.

Out of this funding, the available data shows that 160 research projects were funded and six projects commercialised, while a MoU on research and development was signed to the tune of Ksh75 million ($579,150) in 2024.

Prof Abdulrazak however indicated that the government is finalising the development of draft Science, Technology and Innovation policy (2023) to address the existing gaps including adequate financing.

The policy, he said, will help strengthen local institutions involved in research and development to enhance uptake of innovations, which will help curb skills brain drain.

The principal secretary said the move will be achieved by supporting locally developed innovation prototypes, protecting intellectual property rights (IPR), noting that in past Kenya has been robbed of its innovations for lack of adequate legal protections.

Prof Adulrazak said the state department has also lobbied the parliamentary committee on Education and Research for additional funding needed to catalyse innovations for economic development and wealth creation locally.

At the same time, the principal secretary rooted for more linkages with the diaspora players, the private sector, and venture capitalists to address the remaining funding gap to stimulate research and advance Kenya’s innovation agenda.

Abdulrazak made the remarks in Naivasha, during the opening of the Fourth Multi-Sectoral Conference and Exhibition on Research, Science, Technology and Innovation, being hosted by the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI).

Towards this end, the PS announced a stronger partnership with all the 47 counties to establish incubation centres to nurture, develop and commercialize emerging innovative ideas, especially for youths.

He added that through the Kenya Innovation Agency (KENIA), the government will seek to tap Gen Z’s ideas and enthusiasm as well as expand funding opportunities to commercialise and monetise their innovations.

“Kenya lags behind in the global innovation index at position 96 and we seek to reverse this by supporting local innovation prototypes and ring-fencing intellectual property rights,” said the PS.

On his part, Chair of the National Research Fund Ratemo Michieka said the agency has relied on the national government funding, as well as local and international donors to push for the commercialization of research projects in the country.

Prof Michieka underlined the need to tap and empower the youthful talents, while funding priority is directed to research activities and areas that will address local solutions to existing and emerging challenges.

Chair of Konza Technopolis Development Authority Raphael Munavu cited research, science and technology as key catalysts of the country’s development agenda. Prof Munavu said the smart city – the first on the continent – now hosts key facilities that will ensure the youth incubate their innovations, commercialise and monetise them.

He said the technopolis now hosts a data centre supporting over 70 local companies, including private and public entities, which are key to enhancing data protection.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Erastus Gichohi