Kenya Innovation Agency leads university delegation to South Africa to boost entrepreneurship and commercialisation
Date: 2026-03-18
By: Robert Kwaku Annor
The Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), Tonny K. Omwansa has led a delegation of 13 vice
chancellors to South Africa as part of efforts to strengthen entrepreneurship,
innovation, and commercialization within Kenya’s higher education sector.
The visit follows an Entrepreneurial Leadership
training programme conducted between late 2025 and the first quarter of 2026,
aimed at transforming institutions into more sustainable and innovation-driven
ecosystems. The programme is guided by an entrepreneurial institution maturity
framework that assesses key areas including leadership, infrastructure, policy,
funding, and internationalisation.
The delegation’s engagements in Johannesburg focus on collaboration with
universities, local government, innovators, and industry partners to enhance
knowledge exchange and build partnerships that support innovation ecosystems.
The initiative is part of a broader
movement known as the Network of Entrepreneurial Institutions Leaders (NEIL),
which has grown to include 25 universities. Participating institutions include
Karatina University, Kabarak University, University of Embu, University of
Eldoret, Daystar University, Kisii University, The Cooperative University of
Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology, Dedan
Kimathi University of Technology, Murang’a University of Technology, Pwani
University, and Rongo University.
Officials
noted that the programme aims to strengthen micro-ecosystems within
universities, enabling them to contribute more effectively to Kenya’s national
innovation agenda through enhanced commercialization, entrepreneurship, and
institutional collaboration.
