Kenya has embarked on a transformative journey to strengthen its research and innovation ecosystem through the development of the Kenya Research Financing and Capacity Strengthening Masterplan (2026-2036).
This ten-year blueprint is designed to create a predictable, sustainable, and inclusive framework for research financing, human capital development, and innovation. At the center of this process is ISAAA AfriCenter, whose facilitative leadership, technical coordination, and commitment to value-for-money principles are helping shape one of the most ambitious research initiatives Kenya has ever undertaken.
The project is generously funded by the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund, for which ISAAA AfriCenter is eternally grateful, as the fund’s support enables wide-reaching consultations, technical analysis, and effective coordination, ensuring the Masterplan reflects Kenya’s priorities while drawing on global best practices.
The need for the Masterplan is pressing. Kenya invests approximately 0.8% of GDP in research – well below both the African Union target of 1% and the national statutory aspiration of 2% under the Science, Technology and Innovation Act, Cap. 250A. The Principal Secretary for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, highlights the situation: “Kenya has made notable progress in advancing research, science, technology, and innovation as drivers of national development. However, investment in research remains far below both regional and global benchmarks. Development partners finance nearly 51% of research expenditure, which has often resulted in fragmented funding and weak commercialization of research outputs. This Masterplan is being developed to provide a coherent, predictable, and sustainable framework for mobilizing and managing research financing while strengthening institutional and human capacity across the R&D ecosystem.”
Fragmented financing, underutilized infrastructure, limited commercialization pathways, and weak linkages between academia, government, industry, and communities have constrained Kenya’s research potential. The Masterplan seeks to address these gaps, providing a structured approach to ensure research contributes to socio-economic transformation while fostering inclusivity, equity, and innovation.
ISAAA AfriCenter has played a pivotal role behind the scenes, coordinating the workplan, supporting technical writing, facilitating structured consultations, and ensuring that the process remains inclusive, efficient, and evidence-driven. The organization has been closely working with the National Research Fund (NRF), the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), NACOSTI, and other stakeholders, supporting the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), that has been guiding the process and while strategic oversight. The TAC itself exemplifies the Masterplan’s commitment to Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI), including researchers from public and private institutions, private sector actors, and representatives of persons living with disabilities, ensuring that diverse perspectives shape national research priorities.
AfriCenter has organized consultations across multiple sectors to capture the full spectrum of stakeholders. These include Ministries, Departments, Agencies, and County Governments (MDACs), private sector representatives, development partners, academia, youth, women, and persons with disabilities. Through embedding GESI principles in these engagements, AfriCenter has ensured that the Masterplan is inclusive and responsive to the needs of all Kenyans.
The organization’s involvement is informed by lessons from its Strategic Plan 2024–2030, which draws on decades of experience in African biosciences. AfriCenter has seen firsthand the systemic barriers that limit research and innovation: underutilized laboratories, high costs of imported reagents, limited bio-entrepreneurship, weak commercialization pathways, rising misinformation, and gaps in science communication, regulatory compliance, and intellectual property management. These lessons have guided AfriCenter’s facilitation, ensuring that the Masterplan is both technically sound and strategically forward-looking.
For the NRF, the Masterplan represents a critical step in strengthening Kenya’s research ecosystem. NRF CEO, Prof. Dickson Andala, says: “Our research ecosystem has faced critical challenges of fragmented financing, underinvestment in infrastructure, limited collaboration across institutions, and underutilization of talented scientists and innovators. This Masterplan positions research, science, technology, and innovation as drivers of Kenya’s sustainable development and global competitiveness. It introduces predictability, transparency, and sustainability in research funding, encourages innovative funding models, and provides pathways for training, mentorship, and retention of highly skilled researchers.”
Throughout the process, ISAAA AfriCenter has applied value-for-money principles – economy, efficiency, effectiveness, and equity – ensuring that consultations, analyses, and technical work are conducted responsibly, inclusively, and with measurable impact. The approach maximizes the benefits of each retreat, meeting, and technical review, ensuring that the Masterplan integrates national priorities, global best practices, and lessons from years of bioscience experience.
As the Masterplan nears completion, it promises to provide a structured financing model, modernized laboratories and digital systems, a robust human capital pipeline, and clear pathways for innovation, commercialization, and societal impact. With the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA) Fund enabling the process and ISAAA AfriCenter providing expert facilitation, Kenya is poised to build a research ecosystem where evidence thrives, innovation flourishes, and no one is left behind.
This Masterplan is more than a policy document; it is a national commitment to ensuring that research directly improves lives, strengthens the economy, and positions Kenya as a regional and global leader in science and innovation. Through inclusive engagement, strategic facilitation, and dedicated support from RISA Fund, ISAAA AfriCenter is helping Kenya chart a future where research, innovation, and knowledge drive sustainable development and societal progress.