Kenya’s Research Master Plan: A 10-Year Drive Towards Boosting Research Funding and Innovation
Posted by EDITORIAL
Kenya has unveiled a bold 10-year Master Plan to boost research funding, strengthen innovation commercialization, and raise R&D investment from 0.8% to 2% of GDP. Senior government leaders call for stronger policies, private sector participation, and problem-based research to drive national development.
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Nairobi Kenya
Key Highlights
Kenya is charting a bold new path for its research and innovation ecosystem with a 10-year Master Plan aimed at raising R&D investment from the current 0.8% of GDP to the long-promised 2%. Senior government leaders, including the Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, and the National Research Fund CEO, Prof. Dickson Andala, rallied Parliament and private sector players to champion long-term financing, commercialisation of innovations, and policy reforms to unlock Kenya’s scientific potential and accelerate national development.
Kenya’s scientific future took centre stage as the government unveiled its proposed Master Plan for Research Financing and Commercial Strengthening—an ambitious blueprint designed to redefine the country’s innovation landscape over the next decade. The plan, presented to Parliamentarians, and key stakeholders, outlines a transformative agenda intended to lift Kenya from a low-investment research environment to a fully-fledged knowledge-driven economy.
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At the heart of the discussion was the need to aggressively scale up national investment in research and development. Kenya currently allocates about 0.8% of its GDP to R&D, just below the African Union’s recommended 1%. Yet national leaders insist this is far from enough. The Master Plan seeks to guide the country toward the long-standing commitment of dedicating 2% of GDP to research—a figure seen as essential for meaningful scientific and economic transformation.
Prof. Dickson Andala, CEO of the National Research Fund, underscored the urgency of mobilizing collective resources from government, bilateral partners, and the private sector. He emphasized that the plan aims to pool funding into a robust, bankable national research fund capable of supporting key sectors such as health, agriculture, education, ICT, climate science and smart agriculture. With current research allocations estimated at KSh120 billion, the target is to grow this to at least KSh300 billion to match Kenya’s development ambitions.
A recurring theme throughout the event was the persistent gap between research outputs and commercial value. Many innovations remain confined to shelves, largely due to limited financing for commercialization. The Master Plan proposes stronger engagement with the private sector to turn research discoveries into market-ready products—drawing lessons from nations like India, which leveraged biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, digital public infrastructure, and space science to build globally competitive industries.
Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, the Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, made an impassioned appeal to Parliament, noting that Kenya cannot progress without fully embracing science and innovation as drivers of national prosperity. He reminded leaders that the country produces only 300–400 PhDs annually, far below the national requirement of 1,000. He challenged the nation to invest in its intellectual capital, strengthen universities and research institutions, and modernize scientific equipment that, in many cases, remains outdated.
His message was clear: Kenya must break the silence around scientific investment and act with the same urgency seen in countries that transitioned from low-income status to global industrial powerhouses. He cited examples—from Singapore’s rapid housing transformation to China’s advancement of autonomous mobility—to illustrate how visionary leadership combined with well-funded research ecosystems can redefine nations.
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The PS further announced several upcoming policies designed to anchor Kenya’s innovation environment. These include the Research and Development Policy, the Science, Research, and Innovation Policy, a national Artificial Intelligence policy, the Science Diplomacy policy, and a new Biosecurity framework. Each aims to ensure Kenya’s innovation culture grows responsibly, competitively, and safely in a fast-evolving global landscape.
Both leaders agreed that Kenya’s scientific potential is unmistakable—its biodiversity, talent, and entrepreneurial spirit remain unmatched. What is missing is sustained financial commitment, supportive regulation, and a strong pipeline that takes innovations from idea to impact. With food imports costing the country KSh500 billion annually and persistent challenges in agriculture, energy, manufacturing, and healthcare, the call for problem-based research has never been more urgent.
The new Master Plan signals a turning point. It is a rallying call for Parliament, academia, industry, and development partners to invest boldly in Kenya’s scientific future. As the country aims for 2050 projections with a population nearing 84 million, the question is no longer whether Kenya can transform itself through science—but whether it will act fast enough to secure the future its people deserve.
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The Cover Photo is AI Generated for illustration purpose: shows a picture of a woman coding| courtesy Pixabay
