Advancing STI systems through Kenya’s silicon savannah

The National Research Fund (NRF) leadership, last week, joined the principal secretary of the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Haukat Abdulrazak, on a strategic visit to Konza Technopolis, Kenya’s flagship innovation ecosystem and a cornerstone of the country’s ambition to become a knowledge-based economy.

The visit, led by NRF chief executive officer Dickson Andala, offered a first-hand look at the remarkable transformation taking place at Konza, often referred to as Kenya’s Silicon Savannah.

During the visit, the discussion centered on the role of Konza’s Digital Hub in supporting a national research repository and a Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Observatory, as well as its potential to position Kenya as a continental innovation hub.

The delegation also engaged with the leadership of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) on postgraduate training, advanced research, and capacity building.

For Andala, the visit reinforced the central role of the National Research Fund in bridging policy, research, and innovation. He reaffirmed NRF’s commitment to supporting high-quality research, fostering innovation, and enabling commercialisation pathways that ensure research outcomes deliver tangible benefits for society.

From an SGCI perspective, the visit mirrors broader continental conversations on the need for robust national research systems, coordinated funding mechanisms, and strategic infrastructures that support research uptake and impact.

As SGCI member councils continue to share experiences and lessons across Africa, Kenya’s evolving innovation landscape offers valuable insights into how targeted investments and policy alignment can accelerate progress.

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Published on 19 January 2026