Kenya National Innovation Agency

17/08/2026

AI is evolving from a tool for efficiency into a strategic capability for transformation.

Kenya’s organisations must now move beyond adoption and develop the capabilities to deploy AI strategically, convert innovation into measurable economic value and strengthen competitiveness. This requires investment in talent, organisational capability and pathways that connect AI adoption to commercialisation and scale.

At the Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) Business & Innovation Forum 2026, KeNIA, led by its CEO, Dr. Tonny Omwansa, engaged industry leaders on the implications of this shift, with emerging as a key focus in discussions on how intelligent systems are reshaping opportunity discovery, customer engagement and value creation. The discussion also highlighted the capabilities organisations need to remain competitive in a technology-driven economy.

KeNIA remains committed to strengthening the pathway from to and , ensuring that innovation and emerging technologies translate into enterprise growth, competitiveness and economic impact.

The competitive advantage will increasingly belong to organisations that can transform technological potential into productive capability.

17/08/2026

13/08/2026

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN |Proposal Development and Grant Management for Innovation ‘from Ideas to Funding: Innovation Proposal and Grant Skills’

Ready to turn promising innovations into bankable proposals, unlock funding and effectively manage innovation grants?

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), through its Innovation Academy and the Network of Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders (NEIL), invites research and innovation leaders, faculty, technology transfer and commercialisation practitioners from universities and the wider ecosystem to a three-day practical training on proposal development and grant management for innovation.
Participants will strengthen their capacity to develop bankable proposals, manage innovation grants, undertake financial planning, ensure compliance, and communicate effectively with funders, complemented by practical, case-based learning on ethics, intellectual property and safeguards in innovation grants.

📅 14th–16th October 2026
📍 Naivasha, Kenya
💰 KES 80,000 per participant
Confirmation Deadline: 18th September 2026

📌 Register now and secure your place: https://forms.gle/uKL1q6VkAXfpaVeKA

For enquiries contact: [email protected] | [email protected]

11/08/2026

Strengthening Kenya’s position in global innovation networks requires strategic connections that link local innovators and enterprises to international technology, expertise, investment, and markets. It is against this background that the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) engaged the Director of the Exchange and Cooperation Division at the Korea-Africa Foundation, Mr. Jongkil Lee, to explore opportunities for deepening Kenya–South Korea collaboration in innovation, technology, and enterprise development.

The discussions examined pathways for Kenyan innovators and enterprises to access South Korean technologies, expertise, strategic partnerships, investment, and markets. These linkages will accelerate technology adoption, enhance enterprise capabilities, and support the commercialisation and scaling of Kenyan innovations.

KeNIA also engaged South Korean startups participating in the Global Markets Expansion Program, exploring opportunities to connect them with Kenyan startups, innovators, investors, and other ecosystem stakeholders. The proposed linkages will facilitate knowledge exchange, technology collaboration, investment, and access to new markets.

The engagements underscore KeNIA’s strategic approach to positioning Kenya within global innovation networks and creating opportunities for international collaboration to accelerate technology adoption, enterprise growth, and market access. These efforts contribute to a globally connected and commercially oriented innovation ecosystem, creating pathways for Kenyan innovations and enterprises to scale and compete internationally.

07/08/2026

Kenya’s vision of becoming a globally competitive, innovation-driven economy requires strong entrepreneurial institutions capable of nurturing ideas, supporting venture creation, and accelerating pathways from innovation to impact.

Recognising this need, KeNIA engaged with the UK Tech Hub, Anza Village, and NEIL to explore opportunities for strengthening the Start-up School through strategic partnerships, mentorship, expertise sharing, and sustainable support mechanisms.

The engagement highlighted opportunities to enhance startup development through venture-building approaches, structured mentorship, and collaborative support systems that connect innovators with relevant expertise and resources. Discussions also explored potential pathways for catalytic support, including the Kenya Catalytic Jobs Fund, which focuses on advancing and evaluating innovations with the potential to contribute to large-scale job creation, particularly among young people and vulnerable groups.

The discussions identified opportunities to leverage technical assistance, potential financing pathways, and evidence-based approaches to strengthen startup support models, enhance entrepreneurial capacity, and advance solutions with meaningful economic impact.

KeNIA remains committed to fostering strategic collaborations that strengthen Kenya’s innovation ecosystem, empower entrepreneurial institutions, and accelerate the translation of promising ideas into scalable, high-impact enterprises.

07/08/2026

The Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) is advancing strategic partnerships to strengthen Kenya’s innovation ecosystem by fostering collaboration among key stakeholders that support innovators, startups, and entrepreneurs in transforming ideas into scalable solutions. Led by CEO Dr. Tonny Omwansa, KeNIA convened a strategic engagement with the Kenya Innovation Ecosystem Funders Forum (KIEFF), innovation funders, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to advance coordinated approaches that enhance innovation support systems, strengthen entrepreneurial institutions, and promote collaborative platforms that support innovation-driven growth, including the Network of Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders (NEIL).

The engagement focused on strengthening institutional capacity, expanding financing pathways, and enhancing ecosystem support mechanisms that enable institutions to identify, nurture, and scale high-potential innovations. Participants explored opportunities to deepen collaboration among universities, research institutions, investors, industry stakeholders, and enterprise support organisations to accelerate research translation, innovation commercialisation, and venture growth.

Through strategic partnerships, KeNIA continues to champion the development of entrepreneurial institutions and foster a connected innovation ecosystem that supports enterprise growth, creates employment opportunities, and advances Kenya’s economic transformation agenda.

04/08/2026

Kenya’s ambition to emerge as a globally recognised innovation hub has received a boost following the formalisation of a strategic collaboration framework between the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) and IPE Global Limited. The partnership aims to advance innovation-led development and strengthen Kenya’s national innovation ecosystem.

The collaboration reflects KeNIA’s role in strengthening a connected, globally competitive innovation ecosystem by creating stronger pathways for innovators, start-ups, research institutions, innovation hubs, and universities to access growth opportunities.

Through this partnership, KeNIA and IPE Global will leverage international expertise, mobilise catalytic resources, strengthen institutional capacity, and support the growth and scalability of high-potential Kenyan enterprises.

Key areas of collaboration include:
• Resource mobilisation to strengthen and expand the innovation ecosystem.
• Capacity building and institutional strengthening across innovation ecosystem actors.
• Start-up scouting, validation, incubation, and scale-up support.
• Knowledge exchange, research collaboration, and evidence-based policy development.

The collaboration reinforces KeNIA’s leadership in advancing Kenya’s innovation agenda, creating pathways for enterprises to compete globally while contributing to Africa’s emergence as a hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-driven solutions.

04/08/2026

Across Kenya's universities, a new generation of innovators is emerging with solutions to pressing national challenges. The Campus Spark Challenge 2026, an initiative of the Network of Entrepreneurial Institutional Leaders (NEIL), leverages KeNIA's student-led innovation clubs to accelerate the commercialisation of promising student innovations and strengthen entrepreneurial ecosystems within universities.

The challenge has already gained momentum across participating institutions. Over the past four weeks, 13 of the 22 participating universities have successfully concluded their Campus Spark pitching competitions, with the remaining nine institutions expected to complete their rounds in the coming weeks. Student innovators are presenting solutions aligned with four national priority areas: Health and Wellbeing, Agriculture and Food Security, Digital Transformation and Artificial Intelligence, and Climate Action and Green Innovation.

Winning teams from each institution will advance to the Campus Spark National Finals during the CEIL Summit 2026, where they will compete for the Student Innovator of the Year 2026 title.

Campus Spark supports KeNIA's broader efforts to nurture student entrepreneurship by connecting innovators with mentorship, venture development, and commercialisation opportunities. In doing so, the initiative strengthens the role of universities as drivers of innovation, enterprise creation, and Kenya's transition towards a knowledge-driven economy.

03/08/2026

Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) exists to back your innovation through our different initiatives. Learn more about our initiatives via our website- kenia.go.ke

30/07/2026

Failure doesn't break you, it builds you.
That's just one of the gems from our webinar today on building ventures that create lasting impact. Samuel Njuguna, the Co-founder and CEO Chumz walked us through what it really takes to build something that lasts from selling your vision to building the right ecosystem around you. Failure isn't just something you survive, it's something that, if approached the right way, actually makes you better. He spoke about moving beyond simple resilience toward real transformation and how a multidisciplinary approach to the people you have can make all the difference in a startup's growth. He also emphasized being deliberate about the ecosystem you build, noting that it rarely happens by accident and highlighted selling and the ability to connect with people as one of the most underrated superpowers in entrepreneurship.

Grateful to everyone who joined us live. See you in the next one!