Kisii: The Government of Kenya, through the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and commercialization linkages while expanding innovation infrastructure and funding opportunities. Speaking during the Gusii Innovation Week 2025 (GIW2025) held in Kisii and Nyamira Counties, Principal Secretary Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak emphasized the promotion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools in agriculture to empower youth and women innovators.
According to Kenya News Agency, under the theme 'Resilient Agrifood Systems for Nutritional Security and Economic Sustainability,' this year's event focused on innovation, investment, and inclusion across the agrifood ecosystem. GIW2025 is positioned as a flagship initiative to catalyze agrifood innovation and build resilient food systems. Prof. Shaukat encouraged universities and innovation hubs to collaborate with the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) in commercialization and startup acceleration programs. He noted that the State Department is dedicated to scaling local innovations from pilot stages to market-ready ventures and linking them to national value chains.
He called on startups, innovators, and researchers to use the innovation week to prototype, pitch, network, and access funding and markets. The PS further urged county governments, investors, and private sector players to identify opportunities during the Ecosystem Tour and support innovation uptake. 'I encourage universities and hubs such as FIE_Labs to deepen entrepreneurship training, technology transfer, and problem-solving aligned to local contexts,' said Prof. Shaukat, emphasizing the importance of developing scalable solutions relevant to Kisii and Nyamira value chains and climate realities.
During the week-long event, more than 20 prototypes were developed and over 15 startups pitched their ideas to investors. Four working groups were formed to support the scaling of innovations, with over 300 participants engaged, drawing strong policy, investor, and media attention. The PS also encouraged the creation of a GIW2025 Innovation Pledge to promote continued collaboration beyond the event. 'I invite all innovators to engage with SD-SRI, KeNIA, NRF, and NACOSTI for support in commercialization and scaling,' he said.
Prof. Shaukat expressed optimism that Gusii and Nyamira will evolve into a regional AgriTech and AI innovation hub, leveraging local talent and partnerships for national impact.