How Kenya Is Driving Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth at Universities
At the USAf EDHE Entrepreneurial Executive Leadership Workshop, KeNIA CEO Dr Tonny Omwansa shared how Kenya’s national innovation system has made universities the centre of entrepreneurship.
By Gcina Nhleko
At the USAf EDHE Entrepreneurial Executive Leadership Workshop, Kenya National Innovation Agency CEO Dr Tonny Omwansa shared how a coordinated national innovation system has positioned universities at the heart of entrepreneurship, research commercialisation and job creation—offering practical leadership and policy lessons for higher education institutions across Africa and other emerging innovation ecosystems.
Kenya’s approach to building a national innovation system is placing universities at the centre of economic transformation, with lessons that could inform strategies for higher education institutions across diverse African and global contexts, to address potential applicability concerns.
The address formed part of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) Entrepreneurial Executive Leadership Workshop (EELW), a national initiative led by Universities South Africa (USAf) through the EDHE programme. The workshop brings together senior university leaders, policymakers and ecosystem partners to strengthen the leadership capabilities required to advance entrepreneurial universities in South Africa. Anchored in EDHE’s strategic focus on student entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship in teaching and learning, and the institutionalisation of entrepreneurial universities, the workshop provides a platform for examining global and African practices that enable universities to contribute more directly to innovation, economic development and societal impact. The inclusion of Kenya’s innovation journey offered delegates a practical example of how coordinated national leadership, policy alignment and institutional commitment can position universities as catalysts for entrepreneurship, innovation and job creation.
Speaking on Day 2 of the recent Universities South Africa conference, Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE), Tonny Omwansa, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA), shared insights into how Kenya has repositioned universities beyond their traditional teaching role to become active drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship and national development.
Omwansa’s keynote, titled “National Innovation Systems and University Roles: Lessons from Kenya”, focused on how the East African nation has built a coordinated system that links universities, government, industry and finance in pursuit of high-value jobs and sustainable economic growth.
He shared with delegates that the transformation began with a fundamental question: how can a country deliberately organise its institutions to work together as a system, rather than as isolated entities? Drawing on his leadership at KeNIA, Omwansa explained that Kenya’s innovation strategy is anchored on building and managing a dynamic national system of innovation, where universities are one of key pillars namely, human Capital, access to finance, access to markets, infrastructure and policy.
“Universities are not just participants in the system,” he said. “They are the single most important stakeholder because they drive human capital, ideas, and the capacity to innovate. The keynote outlined how, over the past three years, Kenya has shifted its innovation agenda from fragmented initiatives to a structured national programme that aligns institutions toward a shared goal of wealth creation and enterprise growth. The turning point, Omwansa revealed, came when the Kenyan government repositioned the Innovation Agency from the Ministry of Education to the Office of the President, recognising that innovation cuts across all sectors, including trade, agriculture, health and industry. This move allowed the agency to operate at a national level, coordinating multiple stakeholders and ensuring that innovation policy, funding and execution were aligned across government departments.
He stated that there is no single ministry that owns innovation in Kenya; the emphasis is cross-cutting. That is why it is coordinated at the highest level.
Universities at the Core: Driving Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth
This emphasis on people has translated into a deliberate effort to transform universities into entrepreneurial institutions. Rather than measuring success purely through teaching and research, Kenyan universities are now expected to produce startups, commercialise research and contribute directly to the economy. To achieve this, the Innovation Agency introduced a structured entrepreneurial maturity framework that assesses universities on their ability to support innovation across leadership and governance, funding, infrastructure, and industry linkages.
Omwansa explained that universities initially overestimated their capabilities, rating themselves as “world-class,” only to discover, through a rigorous self- and peer-evaluation process, that most were operating at a much lower level. Following the assessments, each university develops a customised innovation master plan, co-signed by the vice-chancellor and the Innovation Agency, and implemented over a minimum period of two years. Leadership is central to Kenya’s model, with vice-chancellors seen as the most important individuals capable of driving transformation and inspiring others within the system.
Through targeted engagement and training programmes, including a six-month leadership development initiative for vice-chancellors, the agency has worked to instil a culture of entrepreneurial thinking at the highest levels of university management.
“When leaders believe in innovation, they become ambassadors,” he said. “They influence the entire institution and beyond. “Practical interventions like innovation weeks, research commercialisation support, and infrastructure development demonstrate how targeted actions can strengthen university ecosystems and inspire similar initiatives elsewhere. These efforts aim to ensure that universities not only generate knowledge but also translate it into economic value.”When leaders believe in innovation, they become ambassadors,” he said. “They influence the entire institution and beyond. “Practical interventions like innovation weeks, research commercialisation support, and infrastructure development demonstrate how targeted actions can strengthen university ecosystems and inspire similar initiatives elsewhere. These efforts aim to ensure that universities not only generate knowledge but also translate it into economic value.
At the core of Kenya’s model is a 10-year innovation master plan that creates a shared language and framework for all stakeholders. The plan focuses on five key inputs: human capital development, access to infrastructure, markets, finance and a supportive policy environment. Omwansa stressed that human capital development, particularly within universities, has become the foundation of the system.
“If you build the capacity of people effectively,” he said, “they will find funding, they will build partnerships, and they will create opportunities. Everything else follows.”
Lessons for Africa’s Higher Education Systems
Omwansa illustrated the complexity of building such a system by comparing it to the human body, where different components must function individually yet work together harmoniously.
“If the brain is saying go south, the legs are going east, and the eyes are looking west, there is a crisis,” he explained. “Our job is to ensure that all parts of the system are aligned.” Kenya’s experience shows that effective coordination is vital; even well-designed policies can fail without a shared vision, encouraging stakeholders to work together towards common goals.
He also highlighted the need to shift mindsets within universities, encouraging academics and administrators to see themselves not just as educators but as entrepreneurial leaders capable of identifying and nurturing opportunities. “It is difficult to give what you do not have,” he said. “If you do not see yourself as an innovator or entrepreneur, how will you develop that in your students?” The keynote also addressed challenges, particularly the rigidity of institutional systems and resistance to change, which may be more pronounced in resource-constrained environments or institutions with entrenched governance structures, highlighting the need for tailored change management strategies. Despite these hurdles, he said progress has been significant, with more than 25 universities now participating in the programme and measurable improvements already visible in their innovation capacity.
For South African institutions, Omwansa’s message was clear: building an effective innovation ecosystem requires deliberate design, strong leadership and a shared commitment across sectors. In concluding his address, Omwansa emphasised that the ultimate measure of success is not policy documents or institutional rankings, but real economic outcomes and job creation.
Gcina Nhleko is Corporate Communications Manager at Universities South Africa (USAf).
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