Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗮 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽? Join us for the July Edition of the KeNIA Webinar Series as we host Samuel Njuguna, 𝗖𝗼-𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 & 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗼𝗳 @Chumz_io for an inspiring conversation on 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁. From launching businesses as a university student to founding one of Kenya's innovative fintech startups, Sam will share practical lessons on entrepreneurship, resilience, innovation, and the role universities play in nurturing the next generation of founders. 📅 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝟯𝟬 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 🕒 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: 𝟮:𝟯𝟬 – 𝟯:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 (𝗘𝗔𝗧) Registration Link: bit.ly/KeNIAJulyWebin… Whether you're a student, researcher, faculty member, startup founder, or innovation ecosystem stakeholder, this session will equip you with valuable insights to help transform ideas into impactful ventures. #KeNIAWebinarSeries #EnablingInnovation #Chumz

The foreword of the #SouthSouthRising: #SankalpAfricaSummit 2026 Report captures a shared view of what's needed next: stronger institutions, deeper partnerships and capital that moves with purpose. @JohnMwendwaOGW, CEO of @InvestKenya_ , argues that South–South trade and investment corridors will be critical as emerging markets drive the next wave of global growth. @tomwansa, CEO of @KENIAupdates and Host Secretariat of the Innovation Agencies in #Africa Network, makes the case for connected innovation ecosystems where institutions, knowledge and investment scale together. Takehiro Yasui of @jica_direct_en reflects on why long-term, #patient #capital is essential to unlocking enterprise-led growth across Africa. @carol_koech of the @EnergyAlliance reminds us that the challenge is no longer finding solutions—it's enabling them to scale across markets. Ujjawal K of Energiva Ventures closes with a simple but important thought: South–South collaboration is about co-creating solutions, not transferring them. The report builds on these ideas through the conversations, partnerships and commitments that emerged at Sankalp Africa Summit 2026. 📖 Download the report: na2.hubs.ly/H06FhzJ0 #SouthSouthRising #SankalpAfrica #GlobalSouth #ImpactInvesting

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) today participated in the 9th Nairobi Innovation Week (NIW 2026) hosted by the University of Nairobi under the theme, “Youth-Driven Solutions for a Sustainable Future.” The annual event brought together innovators, researchers, students, industry leaders, government agencies, development partners, academia, and startups to share ideas and showcase solutions for sustainable development. Speaking during the event, KeNIA CEO Dr Tonny Omwansa called for stronger partnerships between government and the private sector to accelerate research commercialisation and innovation. He stressed that mentorship and sustainable financing are vital for helping student innovators turn ideas into impactful enterprises. He also reaffirmed KeNIA’s commitment to strengthening innovation ecosystems in universities and building national productive capabilities. “The more globally competitive our universities become, the more globally competitive Kenya becomes. When our institutions excel in research, innovation, and talent development, they strengthen the country's ability to compete and grow.” he said. University of Nairobi Vice-Chancellor Eng. Prof. Ayub N. Gitau said universities must generate knowledge, innovation, and talent that address societal challenges. He urged stronger research excellence, entrepreneurship, intellectual property protection, and collaboration with industry and government. The week-long event featured exhibitions, pitching sessions, panel discussions, and partnership forums advancing youth-driven solutions for a sustainable future. #EnablingInnovation #NIW2026

"The future of Africa will be shaped not only by artificial intelligence, but by how responsibly, collaboratively and inclusively we harness its potential to improve lives." Today, KeNIA participated in the DU-BRAINS Conference 2026, hosted by @DaystarUniv under the theme, "Reimagining Africa with AI: Ethics, Innovation, and Inclusion for a Transformative Future." The conference brought together leaders from government, academia, industry and the innovation community to explore how AI can advance development, strengthen systems and boost Africa's competitiveness. In his remarks, Principal Secretary, State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak underscored the need to strengthen Kenya's innovation ecosystem through locally generated data, greater youth participation in science, research and innovation, and deeper collaboration among stakeholders to accelerate innovation, commercialisation and Kenya's emergence as Africa's innovation hub. "Creating synergies and breaking silos across government, academia and industry will help us build a stronger innovation ecosystem that turns ideas into impact and accelerates Kenya's development agenda," he said. Echoing this call for stronger collaboration, KeNIA Chief Executive Officer Dr Tonny Omwansa delivered a keynote on building Kenya's AI-ready innovation ecosystem, urging universities to produce problem-solvers, venture builders and ethical technology leaders. "Policy is the starting line, not the finish line. Africa's AI moment requires moving from policy to practice through responsible AI, international partnerships, effective intellectual property protection and innovation that delivers socio-economic impact," he said. Daystar University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Laban P. Ayiro urged stakeholders to embrace AI with ethics, inclusion and human dignity at its core, stressing that technological progress must always be matched by responsibility. The event highlighted the importance of strong partnerships between universities, government and industry in advancing Kenya's AI innovation agenda.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: CEIL Summit 2026 We wish to inform all our partners, delegates, and stakeholders that the Commercialisation & Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders' (CEIL) Summit 2026 has been rescheduled to a later date. This decision has been made to ensure we deliver a high-impact experience that brings together leaders in innovation, research, commercialization, and entrepreneurial education. We appreciate your understanding, patience, and continued support as we finalize the new dates. 📅 The revised event dates will be announced soon. Stay tuned for updates. #CEILSummit2026 #EnablingInnovation

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN | Executive Training on Innovation Management for Organisational Excellence Is your Board ready to lead the transformation of innovation into organisational excellence? Join the Kenya National Innovation Academy for a three-day executive training programme designed to equip Board Directors, Board Members and Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of State Corporations with the knowledge, frameworks and tools to institutionalise innovation and enhance public value. What's in it for you? 📷 Strengthen your Board’s capacity to position innovation as a strategic governance and performance priority aligned with national development goals. 📷 Gain executive insight into internationally recognised innovation management frameworks, including ISO 56001, to strengthen governance, accountability and resilience. 📷 Enhance Board oversight of innovation portfolios, strategic risk, resource allocation and value creation to maximise public investment. 📷 Learn practical approaches to building an innovation-driven culture that supports continuous improvement, agility and sustainable performance. 📷 Training Dates: 24th–26th August 2026 📷 Venue: Mombasa 📷 Training Fee: KES 100,000 per participant (exclusive of transport, accommodation and subsistence) To register or make enquiries, email s.njehu@kenia.go.ke or ceo@kenia.go.ke. #EnablingInnovation

The @MITIKenya , through the State Department for Industry @IndustryKE , has developed the Draft National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), 2026, aimed at strengthening the role of intellectual property in driving innovation, creativity, competitiveness and economic growth. Members of the public, innovators, creators, researchers, industry players, rights holders, academia and other stakeholders are invited to participate in the regional public consultation forums and submit their views on the draft policy. The Draft National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS), 2026 and the Memorandum Submission Template can be accessed at: industrialization.go.ke/sites/default/… 📧 Written submissions may be sent to: nipps@industrialization.go.ke info@kipi.go.ke info@aca.go.ke @ACA_Kenya @kipikenya @KenyaCopyright @KENIAupdates @nrfkenya @KephisKe

TVET institutions are uniquely positioned to transform practical ideas into market-ready technologies that address real societal challenges. Strengthening innovation commercialization in the #TVET sector is therefore critical to unlocking their full potential. It is on this background that today, the Kenya National Innovation Agency (@KENIAupdates ) hosted a courtesy visit from the Kenya National Commission for UNESCO (@NatcomUnescoKe ), led by Dr. George Eshiamatwa. The discussions focused on strengthening collaboration to increase TVET participation in the national innovation ecosystem and advancing practical approaches to innovation commercialization. By working together with ecosystem partners, funders, and stakeholders across the TVET value chain, we can accelerate the journey of promising innovations from workshops and laboratories to the marketplace—creating jobs, solving societal challenges, and driving sustainable economic growth. #EnablingInnovations

Research to Commercialization (#R2C )| Wrap-up The Research to Commercialization (R2C) Accelerator Programme concluded successfully with a certificate award ceremony for innovators who completed the intensive commercialization training. The programme equipped participants with practical skills to transform research and innovative ideas into market-ready solutions that address societal challenges. Speaking during the closing ceremony, @tomwansa , Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Innovation Agency (@KENIAupdates ), challenged innovators to focus on creating value through their innovations rather than merely developing products. He emphasized that sustainable innovation is measured by its ability to solve real-world problems, generate economic opportunities, and improve livelihoods. Dr. Omwansa reaffirmed KENIA's commitment to supporting innovators through stronger coordination with ecosystem enablers. He noted that collaboration among universities, industry, government, investors, and incubation centers is critical to accelerating commercialization in Kenya. He also encouraged TVET institutions to establish student-led innovation clubs. This milestone reflects growing momentum toward a more inclusive, innovative, and competitive national economy today.

@_nguthiru @HyapakEco It was truly an honor having you with us. Thank you for sharing your insights. We look forward to having you again! ^TN

@KENIAupdates @HyapakEco This was beautiful. Thank you for the invitation to share 🌟

Innovation is not just about the idea,it is about the resilience to keep going when the challenges pile up. At the #Presidential Innovation Challenge and Award Bootcamp closing ceremony,Joseph Nguthiru @_nguthiru founder of @HyapakEco shared his firsthand experience of the hurdles innovators face, offering honest insights that every founder needs to hear. Because knowing the challenges ahead is the first step to overcoming them. #KeNIA #PresidentialInnovationChallengeandAward #EnablingInnovation

What is stopping you from incorporating AI into your venture? During the Presidential Innovation Challenge and Award bootcamp and closing ceremony 2024-2025, Rose Sikulu Founder of @fibertext and an alumna of the #Presidential Innovation and Award Challenge dropped gems on how she's leveraging AI to power her venture forward. Listen👇 #KeNIA #EnablingInnovation #PresidentialInnovationchallenge&Award

The fourth day of Week Three of the Research-to-Commercialization (R2C) Accelerator Programme featured a virtual session on Industry Readiness for Commercialisation, led by Dr. Rose A. Mboya, Head of Industrial Linkages, Policy and Intellectual Property at the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI). The session examined how innovations can be aligned with market realities, with customer validation, production capacity, intellectual property protection, financing and strategic partnerships emerging as key factors for technologies headed for market entry. The discussion shifted to the journey from research concept to commercial product, stressing that industry partners and investors respond to technologies that solve a defined problem, can be manufactured reliably and present a compelling case for adoption.Intellectual property management, manufacturing readiness, regulatory compliance and business sustainability also featured prominently. The day's session concluded with pitch presentations from all 15 innovators participating in the programme. Innovations showcased included the Advanced Exam Proctoring System for Institutions, DawaScan, PoweredUp Kenya, Provision Smart Assistive Glasses and Datucide, among others. The pitching exercise provided an opportunity for participants to refine their commercialization strategies and strengthen their readiness for market engagement and investment opportunities.

Coming up at 2:30 pm

Research to Commercialization (#R2C) | Week 3 The third day of the Research to Commercialization Accelerator Programme equipped participants with practical insights into resource mobilization and standards compliance, both of which are essential for advancing innovations to market. The day opened with a session on proposal and grant writing facilitated by Maureen Ochako, who shared guidance on developing competitive funding proposals. The session covered the core components of effective grant applications, including problem identification, articulation of the value proposition, budgeting, implementation planning, and impact assessment. Participants were also guided on identifying funding opportunities and tailoring proposals to align with the priorities of donors, investors, and development partners. The second session was led by Dr. Joshua Njiru, Deputy Director, Research and Development at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), who highlighted the importance of standards in supporting the transition of innovations from research to market. Using examples from R2C Cohort 4 innovation profiles, Dr. Njiru illustrated how standardization, product certification, conformity assessment, laboratory testing, and metrology contribute to product quality, regulatory compliance, consumer trust, and market readiness. #EnablingInnovation #researchtocommercialization