By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Kenya’s State Department for
Science, Research and Innovation has reaffirmed its commitment to spearheading
the coordination of research, technology and innovation across various sectors
to support socioeconomic development in partnership with national, regional and
international stakeholders.
The commitment was
highlighted during discussions between the Principal Secretary at the State
Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, Dr.
Abdou Salam Ndiath, Section Head for the Division for Africa under the
International Atomic Energy Agency’s Technical Cooperation Programme, and
representatives of key Kenyan research and academic institutions.
The meeting also involved
Prof. James Kahindi, Vice-Chancellor of Pwani University, and David M. Ngigi of
the National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Discussions focused on
strengthening capacity in food safety, food security and food sovereignty
through the use of nuclear and isotopic techniques in Kenya.
The engagement also explored
how Kenya could strengthen its capacity to support other member states of the
International Atomic Energy Agency in the application of nuclear science and
technology for socioeconomic development.
Prof. Abdulrazak said the
State Department for Science, Research and Innovation would continue to
coordinate research, technology and innovation efforts across different
clusters, working closely with partners at the national, regional and
international levels.
The discussions further
focused on the need to move research and innovation beyond the laboratory and
into commercialisation, with stakeholders agreeing on the importance of scaling
up and scaling out research solutions to achieve wider impact.
