By Duncan Mboya
Embracing collaborations is crucial for Africa to increase its food production and transform its countries into middle-income economies.
Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, principal secretary for Science, Research and Innovation in the office of the prime cabinet secretary, said during the Kenya National Research Festival 2025 at Egerton University, Nakuru.
“It is time we start relying on our food produced through new technologies such as biotechnology and gene editing as opposed to seeking food donation from outside the continent,” Prof. Abdulrazak said.
He encouraged the universities to partner with Asian institutions that have used science in helping their countries achieve food security.
Prof. Abdulrazak said that it is time that cases of stunting and obesity of children in the continent were a thing of the past, since the continent has huge fertile arable land that has the capacity to produce enough food for domestic consumption and export.
The official told researchers to turn science into everyday solutions on farms, in markets, and in households so that food is affordable, farming is profitable, and the economy improves and becomes competitive.
He noted that it is time for a partnership-powered research system that delivers measurable gains in food security, incomes, climate resilience and exports.
Prof. Abdulrazak told researchers to socialize science by communicating their findings to have an everlasting impact on society.
“Translate research findings into Kiswahili and local dialects to make it easier for populations, irrespective of age, to understand and adapt the findings for their own good,” he added.
Prof. Abdulrazak observed that Kenya is in the process of scaling up digital agronomy and extension by merging satellite, information technology and laboratory data into actionable advisories through WhatsApp applications in local languages.
He said that Kenyan farmers are today learned and are capable of translating information for their good use without the supervision of extension officials.
“Kenya stands to be food secure only once communities are empowered with tools and skills through supporting innovators to commercialize solutions,” he said.
The official called for the investment in village‑level drying, storage, cold‑chain, and food safety laboratories, such as deploying electronic beam/irradiation for high‑value exports to reduce losses and aflatoxins.
The community, he said, is empowered when youths use a mobile advisory and solar cold‑chain and a ready off-taker to cut post‑harvest losses by half.
He added that science is improving livelihoods and exports when the fisherman cluster gains market access because laboratories certify safety and quality.
Prof. Abdulrazak revealed that Kenya’s mission is henceforth going to be driven by a partnership‑powered research system that delivers measurable gains in food security, incomes, climate resilience, and exports.
These, he said, will be done through a strategic shift that will focus funding and coordination on clear missions that is to embrace climate‑smart crops and soils, livestock productivity and health, safe food systems, value‑addition and green agro‑processing.
Kenya, he added, is also keen on ensuring that publications are used to find solutions and enterprises as public‑funded research programmes include pathways for piloting, standards, extension, and commercialization with budgets for demonstration and last‑mile adoption.
“We plan to convene research to impact council think tanks that will include researchers from the universities, farmer organizations, National Research Fund (NRF), development partners and the private sector,” he said.
He revealed that Kenya will become a talent pipeline through the expansion of industry-linked technical training and graduate fellowships, with people embedded in farms and factories.
Prof. Abdulrazak noted that Kenya will match grants from NRF to agribusinesses and investors through the introduction of ‘Proof‑of‑Concept and Seed Translation funds’ and adopt innovation‑friendly procurement so the government becomes the first customer for Kenyan solutions.
Phyllis Njane, secretary for research, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, told university management to move beyond theory and become active drivers of innovation.
Njane urged them to connect research to practice by bridging the gap between knowledge and real-world agricultural challenges across farming systems and value chains.
She said that universities should be elevated as innovation hubs to bridge theory and practice as well as strengthen linkages between research, commercialization, and smallholder realities.
