Education Committee pledges to boost Research and Innovation in engagement with State Department

Education Committee pledges to boost Research and Innovation in engagement with State Department

Friday, 27th June, 2025
Nakuru County

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Education and Research met with the newly established State Department of Science Research and Innovation to discuss embedding Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) in education and governance.

The session, themed "The Role of Parliament in Supporting STI Policy and Resource Allocation," aimed to bridge the gap between scientific research and its practical application through funding and policy support.

Hon. Mary Emaase, Member of Parliament for Teso South and leader of the session, highlighted the significance of the engagement stating, "This engagement serves not only as an opportunity for dialogue but also a platform for reaffirming our shared commitment to building a robust, well-resourced, and policy-aligned science, technology, and innovation (STI) ecosystem in Kenya." 

Hon. Emaase also pointed out Kenya's historical underinvestment in research and innovation. “Despite the national commitment to allocate at least 2% of the GDP to research and development, actual allocations remain far below 1%," she noted.

Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, EBS, Principal Secretary in the State Department, emphasized the goal of leveraging evidence-based research to strengthen the country's economy through capacity building across all sectors. 

He envisions Kenya emulating countries like South Korea, which has successfully utilized STI to become a high-income economy with advanced infrastructure and a strong global presence in technology and manufacturing. South Korea was officially upgraded from a developing to a developed country by the UN Conference on Trade and Development in 2021.

“Either you innovate or you perish,” underscored Prof. Abdulrazak, asserting that “The pillars of a knowledge-based economy are deeply rooted in Science, Technology, and Innovation.”

He acknowledged that significant work is needed for Kenya to achieve its development goals under the government's Bottom Up Transformative Agenda (BETA) and Vision 2030, noting that Kenya currently ranks 96th in the global competitive innovation index.

He informed the Committee that among the State Department's priority activities will be a nationwide mapping exercise to identify each region's strengths and maximize the country's yield. 

Committee members expressed keen interest in how the department plans to integrate research into the Competency Based Education (CBE) curriculum.

Igembe North MP, Hon. Julias Taitumu stressed the importance of nurturing research, innovation, and technology from a young age while Mandera South MP, Hon. Abdul Haro expressed optimism about the new State Department, declaring “The future of the world lies firmly in the hands of technological revolution.”

Nyamira County MP, Hon. Jerusha Momanyi, emphasized that research was imperative in guiding government decisions for a fruitful future. She challenged the State Department to chart a clear path for the country posing the question, “What best ways can we engage ourselves to ensure that our country is moving in the right direction?”

Moibem MP, Hon. Prof. Phylis Bartoo, challenged the State Department to bridge the existing gap between research and development saying, “As you embark on the journey to bolster research in the Country, you must also bring forward ways in which we can better implement the research findings.”

The Committee resolved to actively support the State Department through legislative and policy interventions. They also pledged to champion efforts in innovation, commercialization, patent registration, and community impact, while also pushing for the recognition of impactful researchers. 

The State Department, on its part, committed to developing comprehensive policies to bridge gaps across the education and innovation ecosystem, linking basic education, TVETs, universities, industry, and county governments. 

The PS also purposed to establish a centralized repository for research outputs to facilitate knowledge sharing and coordinate all research funding under one umbrella to ensure efficiency and accountability. Prof. Abdulrazak further pledged to enhance the State Department's capacity for resource mobilization through partnerships and engagement with funding agencies.