Kenya commits to increased investment in science and innovation at Africa Convening
Date: 2026-04-30
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
Kenya
has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening investment in science, research,
and innovation during a high-level Africa regional convening co-hosted by Grand
Challenges Canada, Science for Africa Foundation, the Clinton Global
Initiative, and the Wellcome Trust.
Speaking
at the meeting, Shaukat Abdulrazak outlined the government’s position on
scaling financing for the sector, including a target to allocate at least one
percent of GDP toward science, research, and innovation through both public and
private sector contributions.
The
convening brought together a select group of leaders to align on strategies for
concentrating funding into high-impact initiatives, with a focus on coordinated
investments, shared risk, and systemic change driven by government leadership.
Abdulrazak
emphasized the importance of translating research into commercially viable
solutions through scaling strategies, while also highlighting plans to
establish research chairs to strengthen institutional capacity.
Participants
explored approaches to aligning existing and future commitments in order to
unlock greater impact, noting that collaborative funding models could
accelerate progress beyond what individual institutions can achieve
independently.
The
engagement reflects growing momentum across the continent to position science
and innovation as central pillars of economic development, with increased focus
on commercialization, sustainability, and long-term impact.
