Government committed to supporting innovation in the country

The Government is committed to supporting and promoting innovation in the country’s learning institutions, Jua Kali Sector and creative industry as a means of growing the economy.

Giving his key note speech during the 4th Central Rift Innovation Week hosted by Kabarak University, Nakuru, Allan Kosgey, the Institute’s Board Chairman, said this commitment is in accordance with the President’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

The Week whose theme was Transforming ideas into impact: Innovating for a better tomorrow, and ran from September 15-19, 2025, attracted a wide range of participants including inventors, creators, State Agencies such as KIPI, the members of the Kabarak University Council and academic staff, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Henry Kiplangat, and students as well as members of the public.

Kosgey singled out the Inventor Assistance Program (IAP) as one of the greatest initiatives KIPI has initiated to support inventors in the country, including small businesses.

He said the Program, a partnership with World Intellectual Property Organization and launched in Kenya on 11th May 2023, seeks to assist inventors and micro, small and medium entreprises (MSMEs) with limited resources to transform their innovation into commercial assets.

He said, under the Program, the selected beneficiaries are linked with a volunteer Patent Attorney or Agent to guide them thereby giving them an opportunity to protect and commercialize their ideas.

Kosgey said KIPI has received 25 applications under the Program out of which 14 have been selected and matched to IP Agents and other IP specialists.

"Already seven of the applications for patents and utility models have been filed with KIPI and some are being processed for filing. The Program now has 42 volunteers in Kenya ready to assist the inventors," he said.

Kenya is one among the three countries in Africa, South Africa and Morocco being the other two, and 10 worldwide participating in the Program, which was established 10 years ago.

Others countries participating are Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines and Singapore.