KENIA Unveils Implementation Strategy for 10-Year Innovation Masterplan

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By Jared Odhiambo 

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) held a pivotal meeting to outlined the implementation strategy for Kenya’s ambitious 10-Year Innovation Masterplan. 

The event brought together key stakeholders from government, private, and international institutions to explore collaboration opportunities that aim to drive Kenya's innovation agenda forward.

The meeting highlighted four key objectives: unpacking the pillars of the 10-Year Innovation Masterplan, announcing major upcoming initiatives, introducing new educational courses at the KeNIA Innovation Academy, and showcasing the innovations of finalists from the 2023 Presidential Innovation Award.

The event’s keynote speaker, Hon. Alice Ng’ang’a, Chair of the Parliamentary Committee for Social Protection at the National Assembly, underscored the significance of the Innovation Masterplan, describing it as a guiding beacon for national development. 

"This plan is designed to harness the power of innovation across all sectors of our economy, including human capital, finance, markets, infrastructure, and policy," said Hon. Ng’ang’a.

She expressed strong support for the upcoming Kenya Innovation Week (KIW), scheduled for November 25th to 29th, 2024, and announced a new category for public sector innovations in the Presidential Innovation Award. 

This addition is expected to enhance government responsiveness to service delivery and contribute to the creation of approximately 387,000 innovation-related jobs.

KeNIA CEO Dr. Tony Omwansa provided a detailed breakdown of the 10-Year Masterplan, which focuses on two major areas: research commercialization and the startup ecosystem. 

Dr. Omwansa emphasized the importance of partnerships with private sectors to build institutional capacity, improve policy environments, and foster a more innovation-friendly landscape in Kenya.

Among the key partners mentioned were Britam, JICA, the British Council, FCDO, AfDB, and Konza Metropolis, all of whom have played significant roles in supporting KeNIA’s innovation programs. The agency is also collaborating with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to design a startup ecosystem support policy and with the Africa Development Fund (AfDB) to establish a $42 million Kenya Innovation Fund by 2028.

In just one year since the Masterplan’s launch, more than 10 universities have adopted entrepreneurial education approaches, and the ongoing Commercialisation and Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders (CEIL) Summit, scheduled for August 29th to 30th, 2024, aims to further capacity building in this area.

As KeNIA continues to seek new partnerships and collaborations, the agency remains committed to creating more job opportunities for youth, fostering entrepreneurship, and positioning Kenya as a global leader in innovation.

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