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Publication Date (Issue Year)
2026
Language
English
Country
Kenya
Abstract
Kenya's Vision 2030 aims to turn the country into a competitive, industrializing, knowledge-based economy. The Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV) 2023–2027 advances this goal by prioritizing agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), housing, healthcare, and the digital and creative economy. MTP IV treats science, technology and innovation (STI) and human capital as key enablers of transformation. It also names several weaknesses in the STI system: too little investment in research and development, limited commercialization of local innovations, and weak links between research and industry.
To address these gaps, Kenya needs a critical mass of highly qualified scientists, engineers and innovators in Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology (ASET), especially at the doctoral level. Kenya's investment in the PASET Regional Scholarship and Innovation Fund (Rsif) supports this in three ways. It expands access to high-quality doctoral training, strengthens institutional research and innovation capacity, and connects Kenyan scientists to African and international networks.
Kenya is a founding member of PASET, a former PASET Chair and one of nine African countries contributing to Rsif. Since 2015 Kenya has committed USD 4 million to train Kenyan PhD scholars at selected African Host Universities, with research placements at international partner institutions. Kenya also plays a central role in the Rsif regional ecosystem. It hosts two Rsif African Host Universities, which train scholars from across Africa: the University of Nairobi in Physics and Kenyatta University in Materials Science. It also hosts the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (icipe), which serves as Rsif’s Regional Coordination Unit. This helps position Kenya as both an investor in advanced scientific training and a regional hub for research and innovation.