President William Ruto has granted university charters to the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST), in a move aimed at strengthening Kenya’s capacity in research, innovation, and advanced training.
During the ceremony at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday, Ruto said the two institutions would play a critical role in helping the country build a modern economy powered by science, technology, and skilled professionals.
The president said nations that dominate globally have invested heavily in research, education, and innovation, adding that Kenya must also take that path to remain competitive.
“No nation has ever become prosperous, industrialized or globally competitive without investing deliberately in science, research, technology, innovation, and the human capital of its people,” he said.
Ruto noted that countries such as South Korea and the United States transformed their economies through long-term support for scientific research and higher learning.
He said Kenya-AIST and KEMRI would become central institutions in Kenya’s development agenda, with one focusing on advanced technology while the other strengthens health research and disease preparedness.
“The nations that will lead tomorrow are investing heavily today in science, engineering, research, and advanced skills. Kenya will not stand outside this transformation. We must, and we will, lead within it,” he said.
According to the president, Kenya-AIST will focus on specialised areas including artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology, climate innovation, semiconductor physics, and engineering.
He said the institution is expected to help Kenya move beyond consumption of foreign technology and instead produce knowledge, innovation, and homegrown solutions.
Ruto also highlighted KEMRI’s contribution to public health, saying the institution has remained important in disease surveillance, vaccine research, and scientific response to outbreaks.
He said the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the importance of investing in strong health systems and research institutions.
“For decades, KEMRI researchers have equally contributed globally recognised work in malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, maternal health, and epidemic response,” he said.
The president further announced plans to expand government support for research and development through increased funding.
He said the government is targeting allocation of at least two per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product toward research, a move that could unlock nearly Sh300 billion annually.
Ruto added that the long-term target is to grow the country’s national research fund to Sh1 trillion within the next 10 years.
He also called for closer collaboration among universities, scientists, and research institutions to create a stronger national research system capable of producing highly skilled experts.
Kenya-AIST was established as a postgraduate science and technology institution and will offer advanced training in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ICT Engineering, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and Agricultural Biotechnology.
KEMRI, which serves as the country’s national health research institution, carries out biomedical research in areas such as malaria, HIV, tuberculosis, maternal health, genomics, vaccine development, and disease surveillance.
The awarding of the charters marks a major step in the government’s effort to place science, research, and innovation at the centre of Kenya’s economic and industrial transformation.