President William Ruto interacts with innovators during the Kenya Innovation Week 2024 in Nairobi./ PCS
President William Ruto has directed the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KNIA) to be relocated to the Office of the President.
Speaking on Wednesday, November 27, during the launch of the Kenya Innovation Week 2024 in Nairobi, the president announced plans to propose a budgetary allocation of Sh500 million for the agency.
President Ruto reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting innovation, emphasizing its potential to create employment opportunities for Kenyans.
“When I came into office, the Kenya Innovation Agency had a budget of Ksh18 million. This year, the government has supported the agency with Ksh200 million,” Ruto said.
“Because of the centrality and importance of innovation and the opportunities it can create, it is important that we harness the potential in this space. I therefore direct that the agency moves to the Office of the President. I will also propose to Parliament an allocation of Sh500 million for the agency and Ksh1 billion for the Startup Fund.” He added.
The president explained that the crosscutting nature of innovation across various fields, including university education, TVETs, and other education sectors, necessitated moving the agency to a central position to better harness these opportunities.
“It becomes necessary to move this agency to a central place where we can coordinate efforts to innovate, scale up ideas, commercialize research, and assist innovators in taking their work to the next level,” Ruto noted.
He highlighted that many innovative ideas remain uncommercialized due to a lack of resources, adding that the proposed allocation would help reduce risks and enable more ideas to transition into practical applications.
“We should be able to move more ideas into practice because they offer solutions to some of the challenges we face. The wealth of knowledge, creativity, and innovation in young Kenyans is remarkable,” he remarked.
The president affirmed that the government would continue creating an enabling environment to foster innovation and position Kenya as a global leader in technology and creative solutions.
