Innovation and commercialisation are no longer peripheral activities, but the bedrock of the University’s 2023-2027 Strategic Plan. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Margaret Jesang Hutchinson, made these remarks on March 25, 2026, during the Research and Innovation Week (RIW) 2025 Innovators’ Award Ceremony organised by the Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) Division.

The University of Nairobi is actively seeking to strengthen ties with strategic industry partners in its approach to creativity and commercialization. Professor Maina Wagacha, Director of Innovation and Intellectual Property Management, noted that while the University was traditionally viewed as an isolated Ivory Tower, it is proactively reaching out to industry leaders to ensure innovation becomes a permanent part of its culture and focus. Prof.