By Monica Nashon
Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migosi Ogamba has announced the establishment of an independent State Department for Research, underscoring the government’s push for data-driven reforms in Kenya’s education sector.
Speaking at Kisii University during the launch of the Higher Education Research Initiative Africa (HERI) Africa, Ogamba urged universities to treat research as a core mandate rather than an add-on to teaching.
“Universities are no longer just centers of teaching. They are agencies of innovation and solutions to everyday challenges. HERI Africa exists to move research from paper to lived reality,” he said.
HERI Africa is a continental partnership designed to strengthen education research, expand funding, and enhance policy influence across Africa, with a long-term goal of the continent shaping global education theory by 2050.
The Kisii University Vice Chancellor, Prof Nathan Ogechi said the institution has made notable contributions to global research output, despite Africa accounting for only three per cent of global education research readership.
He noted that the continent is targeting at least 30 per cent of global education research contribution by 2050, adding that Kenya’s shift to the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) has made education research more critical than ever.
“Language is the heart of learning. Strong literacy supports mathematics, sciences and life skills. Languages are crucial in human resource development and building an inclusive society,” he said.
The VC further revealed that the university council has approved new academic promotion criteria introducing two pathways: a teaching-and-research track and a research-intensive track allowing scholars to dedicate up to 90 per cent of their time to research and development, mainly at postgraduate level.
Kisii University will host the East Africa Research Chair in Language Education, while other public universities will host chairs in mathematics and quantitative analysis.
Chief Executive Officer of the Commission for University Education, Mike Kuria, warned that 90 per cent of graduates lack critical life and workplace skills, raising concerns about the relevance of higher education.
“Africa’s education research ecosystem faces donor-driven agendas, weak frameworks that ignore African realities, limited capacity, and poor communication with policymakers,” he said, noting that less than 10 per cent of research reaches decision-makers or communities in usable formats.
The HERI Africa initiative aims to build institutional capacity, democratize research funding, promote gender equality, and localize African-led research.
By 2030, at least three countries are expected to join the initiative.
Dr. Henry Kilonzo of Safaricom and the M-Pesa Foundation said education remains the greatest equalizer, revealing investments of about Sh250 million in school renovations across Kisii County, alongside partnerships with seven universities and a recent Sh254 million project at the University of Embu.
“We must ask whether our investments are guided by the right evidence and whether we are translating knowledge into impact,” he said.
Vice President at Imaginable Futures, Dr. Laila Macharia, pledged financial support for locally led research, announcing a matching fund of 200 dollars for every dollar raised.
On gender and inclusion, Zizi Afrique Foundation Board Chairperson Dr. Kahaki Kimani said the foundation will coordinate resource mobilization to strengthen national research funding.
Dr. Purity Ngina of the National Gender Research Agenda said the five-year framework prioritizes equity, inclusion, learners with disabilities, and those affected by poverty and displacement.
Kisii University Council Chairperson Sarah Ruto reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to global competitiveness while remaining locally grounded, while County Commissioner Mwachaunga Chaunga said research will be key to identifying gaps and ensuring equitable distribution of education resources.