Universities have been urged to add Innovation & Start-ups established in their Curricula and KPIs
The University of Nairobi officially opened its 8th Annual Research and Innovation Week 2025 on Tuesday, 21st October, 2025 attracting partners and participants from across the country and beyond. The high-profile event was themed, ‘Advancing research and innovation — moving discoveries from the lab to real-world impact in today’s dynamic global landscape.’
The opening ceremony was graced by Dr. Caroline Hunja, Secretary for Higher Education and Research at the Ministry of Education, who officially launched the week on behalf of Principal Secretary, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala.
In her keynote address, Dr. Hunja called for deeper collaboration between academia, the private sector, and government agencies to accelerate the translation of research into practical solutions.
“We convene at a time of immense opportunity and pressing challenges. Our collective desire is to transform Kenya into a developed economy amid global economic slowdowns. We are now implementing the final phase of Kenya Vision 2030, which places science, technology, and innovation at the heart of our economic pillar. Our growth, prosperity, and competitiveness in the global economy depends on our ability to generate knowledge, convert it into value-added goods and services, and apply it for the benefit of all Kenyans,” she stated.
Dr. Hunja also emphasized the importance of nurturing a culture of research from an early age, not just at the university level. She noted that the State Department is focused on fostering curiosity and innovation among learners from a young age to support emerging researchers and start-ups developing sustainable solutions. She urged learning institutions to prioritize research with measurable impact, particularly in areas such as climate resilience, agriculture, health innovation, and digital transformation.
Delivering the keynote address, Professor Dickson Adala, Chief Executive Officer of the National Research Fund (NRF), underscored that Kenya’s future depends on its ability to harness science, research, and innovation to address societal challenges, drive economic growth, and enhance its global standing.
“The University of Nairobi has heeded this clarion call by investing heavily in science, research, and innovation as a leading research university — ranked among the top 10 in Africa. This commitment is clearly reflected in its Annual Research and Innovation Week, now a hallmark event in Kenya’s national research calendar,” he said.
“At the National Research Fund, we believe Kenya’s competitiveness lies in the strength of its research and innovation ecosystem. Our mandate is to ensure that every funded project contributes meaningfully to societal transformation — whether by solving local problems, creating new enterprises, or informing public policy,” he added.
Dr. Tonny Omwansa, CEO, Kenya National Innovation Agency, ‘Kenya Innovation Agency has designed a maturity framework that helps the Institution to move up the value chain- the Leadership of the University is a great plus for UoN to implement and move up the Innovation Value chain. Policies are available , Engineering and Science Complex and partnerships that have made it possible, Problem-based learning, Teaching and learning perspective has changed, the Learning culture, sensitization efforts, ...are all working well.
On the Outputs, beyond the inputs will be the number of ventures and businesses built from Student innovations . Dr. Omwansa challenged university of Nairobi to: - Establish BOLD targets that will strengthen the numbers, Build coordinated mechanisms internally to be able to nurture the businesses and ventures, Continue establishing Partnerships and engagement that will see funders invest in the scalable business models.’
Prof. John Mande, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Human Resource and Administration, who was represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Jesang Hutchinson, applauded the Faculty Conference conveners and underscored the importance of the Research and Innovation Week to the University, ‘At the University of Nairobi, we are deeply committed to maintaining our leadership as a research-intensive institution that continually expands the frontiers of knowledge and fosters innovation-driven development.’
While highlighting how the University performed in the previous year in terms of publishing, IP and strategic Partnerships and collaboration agreements signed, the VC urged the government to increase its investment in Research, 'Our collective achievements underscore the critical role of research and innovation in national development. To sustain this momentum, Kenya must deepen investment in research and development. Nations that have achieved transformative growth — from Finland to South Korea, consistently allocate at least 1% of their GDP to R&D. Kenya’s investment remains below this threshold, yet our researchers continue to demonstrate exceptional ingenuity and global competitiveness.'
A key highlight of the opening day was the signing of a collaboration agreement between the University of Nairobi and the Mazao Group of Companies. The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Peter Karanja, expressed gratitude for the partnership and reaffirmed Mazao Group’s commitment to supporting the University’s innovation agenda.
Professor Maina Wagacha, Director of Intellectual Property Management at the University of Nairobi, lauded the partnerships, emphasizing the importance of creating innovation ecosystems that connect researchers with market actors and policymakers.
The week also featured a National Student Innovation Challenge, where young innovators pitched creative solutions to pressing national issues. The top prize went to a team from Kenyatta University for their project on biodegradable packaging materials made from cassava starch.
As the week progressed, a series of panel discussions, workshops, and thematic conferences engages stakeholders from research institutions, government agencies, NGOs, and the private sector.
