Researchers in the country have complained of inadequate funding for projects, calling for better consideration if the country has to move forward through innovation.
Addressing the press on the sidelines of the ongoing Science Granting Councils Initiative (SGCI) Annual Forum and Global Research Council Sub Saharan Africa Regional Meeting in Mombasa, chairman of the National Research Fund (NRF) Prof Ratemo Michieka said the current funding allocated to research is too little for the country to make any reasonable progress.
This has suffocated research and innovation and subsequently the country’s economy.
He said proper funding in research could help turn around the economy of the country and propel it to be at par with developed countries like South Africa and other developed nations which have invested heavily in research.
“If you look at all those developed countries and interrogate the amount they allocate for research, you will realize that Kenya is way behind. This is why we always import cars from Japan and aircrafts from the US,” Prof Michieka said.
He pointed out that if the country successfully pursues a single line of research, there is a possibility of creating vast employment opportunities and bringing poverty and unemployment to an end.
“If we successfully invest in research and set up one industry, we can employ all the youth who are jobless… and nobody will be leaving the country for Europe or Saudi Arabia in search of jobs,” he suggested.
While Kenya ranks Africa’s second biggest spender on research, most of the research and development funds come from foreign donors.
The biggest investor is South Africa, which spends 0.85 per cent of its GDP on research and development, followed by Kenya at 0.8 per cent.
By Hilton Mwabili
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