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Nairobi, October 11, 2024 — The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports held a high-profile breakfast meeting today at Villa Rosa Kempinski, marking significant milestones in Kenya’s innovation ecosystem.
The event saw the conclusion of the 2023-2024 Presidential Innovation Award (PIA) Accelerator Program and the launch of applications for the 2024-2025 cohort, as well as the announcement of the much-anticipated Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) 2024.
The meeting brought together stakeholders from government, private, and international institutions to rally support and partnership for KIW 2024 and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Youth Symposium, which will run from November 25-29, 2024. The event provided a platform for networking and fostering collaboration to enhance Kenya’s national innovation ecosystem.
Hon. Kipchumba Murkomen, Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports, was the keynote speaker. In his address, Hon. Murkomen emphasized the role of innovation in driving job creation and economic growth. He announced the expansion of the PIA program into four distinct categories to better support innovation in various sectors:
- Youth Category: Targeting innovators aged 18-35.
- University Category: Focusing on university students with commercializable research.
- Mature Start-up Category: For established start-ups with over five years of operation.
- Research to Commercialization: Geared towards senior researchers in academia and research institutes.
Hon. Murkomen expressed confidence in the upcoming Kenya Innovation Week, describing it as a critical event to showcase Kenya’s progress in innovation and called for stakeholders to explore new partnerships. He further highlighted the importance of hosting the event alongside the AfCFTA Youth Symposium, which would expose Kenyan innovators to continental markets and foster collaboration across Africa.
The symposium will feature initiatives such as the “Wall of Africa Textile Fashion Show” and the “African Bloggers Panel,” both designed to promote cross-border cooperation and digital engagement.
“The integration of AfCFTA with innovation will create countless opportunities for Kenyan youth, connecting them to larger markets and enabling growth across the continent,” Hon. Murkomen noted. He also urged stakeholders to explore new opportunities in the creative industries and the digital economy as part of AfCFTA’s broader goals.
In support of Hon. Murkomen’s sentiments, Principal Secretary of Youth Affairs, Hon. Ismail Maalim Madey, highlighted the success of the previous PIA cohort. He noted that the program had a significant impact on job creation, market expansion, and profitability for participating startups. “The grants have been instrumental in assisting innovators with research and development, leading to the creation of impactful solutions that benefit our communities,” Hon. Maalim remarked.
Dr. Tony Omwansa, CEO of KeNIA, also unveiled plans for Kenya Innovation Week 2024, themed “Re-imagining Africa’s Future: Kenya’s Innovation Spark.” The event will serve as a platform to align Kenya’s innovation ecosystem with the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and its vision of creating a prosperous Africa driven by its own people.
Dr. Omwansa reiterated KeNIA’s commitment to creating both direct and indirect jobs through PIA initiatives by 2027. He outlined the agency’s four-step approach: scouting for promising innovations, recognizing achievements, showcasing solutions, and offering commercialization support through the Presidential Accelerator Programme.
The event concluded with the recognition of the thirty innovators from the 2023-2024 PIA cohort and the official opening of applications for the 2024-2025 cohort. The celebration of these innovators underscored the success of the PIA program in nurturing talent and supporting the development of solutions to address Kenya’s challenges.
As Kenya prepares to host KIW 2024 and the AfCFTA Youth Symposium, the focus is now on building a robust innovation ecosystem that positions the country as a leader in innovation across Africa.
