A growing financial crisis in local universities is threatening to derail research and innovation efforts across Kenya, experts have warned. Researchers and education stakeholders are raising alarm over inadequate funding, which they say is stifling innovation and limiting the potential of institutions to contribute meaningfully to national development.
According to Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC), the financial strain has left universities focusing narrowly on their core mandate of delivering education, at the expense of research and innovation. She emphasized that unless African governments, including Kenya, significantly increase investment in research currently averaging just 0.45% of GDP continent-wide economic growth could stagnate.
“In Kenya, research and innovation receive only 0.6% of the GDP. This low investment leaves universities financially stretched, forcing them to abandon potentially groundbreaking innovations,” said Dr. Kyobutungi. “Many innovative projects are stuck at the prototype stage due to lack of funding.”
Dr. Kyobutungi called for urgent collaborations between universities, the government, and the private sector to salvage the innovation ecosystem. She noted that successful innovations can solve pressing social and economic challenges while also diversifying universities’ income sources through commercialization of research outputs.
“Research is not a luxury; it is a necessity. If we do not prioritize and fund it adequately, we cannot expect sustainable development,” she said.
Zetech University is among the few institutions attempting to buck the trend. Its Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Alice Njuguna, highlighted the role of the university’s innovation hub, which mentors innovators and links them to global markets.
“We not only fund innovative student projects, but also work with local innovators. Our partnerships have allowed some of our students to showcase their work in countries like Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK,” said Prof. Njuguna.
The message from experts is clear: if Kenya is to unlock the full potential of its universities and youth innovators, sustainable funding and strategic partnerships must become a priority
