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President William Ruto has announced a significant restructuring of the Kenya Innovation Agency (KeNIA), transferring it from the Ministry of Youth, Sports, and the Arts to the Office of the President.
The move, he said, aligns with the government’s commitment to fostering innovation and leveraging it for economic growth and job creation.
Speaking during the opening of the Kenya Innovation Week in Nairobi, President Ruto highlighted the critical role of innovation in driving national development and addressing unemployment.
“When I came into office, the agency had a budget of Sh18 million. In the second year, we increased it to Sh120 million, and this year, the government supported the agency with Sh200 million,” said President Ruto.
To bolster KeNIA's impact, the President announced plans to allocate Sh500 million to the agency in the coming year and establish a Sh1 billion start-up fund to support commercialisation of ideas.
This funding aims to address resource constraints that have hindered the translation of innovative ideas into viable businesses.
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Why the Move?
President Ruto emphasised that innovation transcends sectors, influencing agriculture, health, and technology.
Centralising KeNIA within the Office of the President, he argued, will enhance coordination and unlock opportunities to create high-quality jobs for Kenyan youth.
“We must harness the opportunities in this space to innovate, scale up ideas, and commercialise research from our universities or ideas from our innovators,” he stated.
It is necessary that this agency moves to a central place where we can harness these opportunities for job creation.
Tackling Unemployment
President Ruto linked innovation directly to the government’s broader job creation strategies, including affordable housing, digital jobs, labour export, and industrial parks.
“It is easy for leaders to stand on podia and talk about unemployment, but it takes concrete decisions and policy frameworks to create jobs,” he noted.
By providing a sustainable budget and establishing a start-up fund, the government hopes to de-risk venture capital investments in Kenya, making it a more attractive destination for global investors.
About KeNIA
The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) was established under the Science, Technology, and Innovation Act of 2013 to coordinate and promote the national innovation ecosystem.
Working with partners, KeNIA supports the identification, protection, and commercialisation of innovative ideas.
It also facilitates policy formulation, capacity development, and recognition of innovations to drive enterprise development and economic growth.
The President’s announcement aligns with KeNIA’s mandate to nurture innovation and foster collaborations that contribute to Kenya’s global standing as a hub for venture capital and entrepreneurship.
The move is expected to accelerate the country’s innovation agenda and provide a critical boost to start-ups and research commercialisation efforts.