State to set aside Sh260 billion for research
State to set aside Sh260 billion for research
State to set aside Sh260 billion for research
The government intends to dedicate over Sh260 billion on research and development, which might mean a windfall for the nation’s scientists and researchers.
The Ministry of Education proposes to amend the Science, Technology, and Innovation Act to allow research institutions to receive up to two percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
The entire amount spent on research and development within a nation by resident corporations, government laboratories, research institutes, and universities, among others, is known as gross domestic spending on R&D. It encompasses international research funding.
The Ministry of Education proposes to amend the Science, Technology, and Innovation Act to allow research institutions to receive up to two percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
The entire amount spent on research and development within a nation by resident corporations, government laboratories, research institutes, and universities, among others, is known as gross domestic spending on R&D. It encompasses international research funding.
One of the twelve bills the government has prepared to restructure the school system includes the suggestion, which is found in the Science, Technology, and Innovation Amendment (Bill), 2024.The National Commission for Science, Technology & Innovation (NACOSTI) Director General, Walter Oyawa, pointed out that the government now only funds R&D with 0.8% of GDP.
He said this is short of the recommended amount of two per cent of the GDP which represents about Sh100 billion.This, however, effectively makes Kenya as Africa’s second biggest spender on research and development (R&D) – the process of creating new products and services or improving existing ones.
The biggest spender is South Africa, which spends 0.85 per cent of its GDP on research and development.Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu said a third of the funding will go to Technical and Vocational Institutions and another third to universities.
However, if increased to the proposed two per cent, then it will mean universities, research centres and colleges will get Sh250 billion.
Kenya’s GDP was Sh13.5 trillion in 2022, according to the Central Bank website; 2% of that amount, assuming GDP stagnates at that level, is Sh260 billion.”Let’s be ready to use that money when it comes, because two percent of the GDP is a lot of billions and could drive someone insane,” Professor Oyawa stated.
He encouraged the private sector to to participate in research and innovation. He stated, “For instance, up to 70% of innovation funding in Switzerland, one of the top nations in the innovation index, is derived from the private sector, 20% from the government, and 10% from philanthropy.”
Oyawa further disclosed that the government anticipates that when students enrolled in Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) enter senior secondary school, at least 60% of them will enroll in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses.”At least 60% of senior school students are expected to transition to a STEM pathway as they advance in the upcoming Kenya Competency Based Curriculum,” he stated.
Currently enrolled in junior school, the CBC pioneer class will transition to senior school in 2026 and university/colleges in 2029. They are currently in Grade 8.Additionally, according to Oyawa, the government expects that 25% of students would major in humanities and 15% in creative studies.
