In a powerful affirmation of Kenya’s renewed commitment to science, technology, and innovation, Professor Abdulrazak Shaukat, the Permanent Secretary of the newly formed State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, brought clarity and conviction to recent high-level engagements steering the development of the country’s Research Funding and Capacity Strengthening Masterplan (2026–2035). Participating in both the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) retreat from July 14–16 and a follow-up ‘Pause and Reflect’ session on July 17 with the Research and Innovation Systems for Africa (RISA Fund), the PS offered strategic guidance that not only validated the ongoing process but also charted a bold course for institutional coordination, strategic financing, and long-term ecosystem growth.
At the heart of his message was the need to reposition the State Department as a national focal point for cross-sectoral research leadership. He emphasized the importance of harmonizing departmental priorities across ministries, identifying past successes before conducting gap analyses, and anchoring research priorities in evidence and impact. Citing the Innovation, Science and Technology Act, he underscored the imperative of achieving the 2% GDP investment target for R&D—currently at just 0.7%—and proposed a phased approach backed by strong deliverables and visibility of outcomes. He also stressed the urgency of developing high-quality, fundable proposals and building a national research database to inform strategic decision-making.
The TAC retreat, energized by the PS’s participation, produced a working draft of the Masterplan structured around four pillars: Funding Models; R&D Ecosystem and Infrastructure; Inclusion, Sustainability and Industry Linkage; and Policy and Institutional Coordination. Each pillar carries bold projected outcomes, including improved public and private research investment, strengthened public-private partnerships, enhanced inclusivity, and better alignment of research outputs with national development priorities. These will guide programme implementation over a ten-year period, with a midterm review in 2030.
To move the process forward, the TAC outlined key next steps including finalizing the masterplan in government-approved formats, deepening the situational analysis to map current funding flows and institutional capacities, engaging a technical consultant to benchmark global best practices, and developing a robust implementation framework with identified risks, performance indicators, and impact metrics. Importantly, the plan is being crafted to align with Vision 2030 and future development agendas such as MTP IV and the AU’s Agenda 2063.
The PS’s hands-on engagement—along with his focus on institutional accountability, county-level innovation hubs, and commercialization pathways—signals strong government backing and elevates the masterplan beyond a policy document to a national development blueprint. With the process gaining momentum and strategic direction secured, Kenya’s research landscape is poised for a transformation that is grounded in policy, driven by collaboration, and focused on measurable impact.