Low market reception threatens local innovation in Kenya: study

A renewed vigor towards harnessing science, technology and innovation (STI) for development in Kenya may fail due to low levels of market receptivity to local innovations.

According to a study released Wednesday in Nairobi by Scinnovent Centre, a Kenya-based policy and development think tank on science and technology, majority of Kenyans prefer to buy imported products, even when they are priced much higher.

"The government has developed a number of policy initiatives to support the translation of knowledge into practical applications for social and economic use, but the attitude of people towards local products is to blame for slow development in the sector," the study's lead author Dr. Maurice Bolo said in Nairobi.

Bolo observed that the trend can only be reversed once Kenyans believe in and support their own home-made products as a way of encouraging local innovations and employment creation.

He, however, noted that innovators too must begin to be consistent in producing quality products that are attractive to the buyers.

Bolo said despite the government allocating funds to various innovators as part of its efforts to support STI in the country, the transition to market has rather been slow and stagnant in most cases.

"The government needs to fast-track the establishment of venture capital to fund innovation and provide tax credits for investments in research and development," he added.

The study finds that innovators have, however, raised concerns on the accessibility of these funds to the targeted beneficiaries. They view the processes as tedious and have faulted the eligibility requirements for accessing these funds.

They said most of the innovators are individuals yet the funds are designed to be accessible mainly to groups, using a group lending model. This model seems inconsistent with the nature of innovation that is largely driven by individuals rather than groups.

Innovators are also not comfortable with loaning system of acquiring the funds saying that investing in innovation is a gamble that is fraught with uncertainties.

The study recommends that the government, through its procurement policies, starts supporting local innovators through preferential purchasing of locally manufactured products after sensitizing the populations towards achieving a cultural and mind- set shift.

Innovators should also be empowered to yearn for better, and strive to provide better quality goods that can compete globally. This, the study says, will harness the innovators' ability to improve on the quality and standards of their goods and services.

It also recommends that awareness and sensitization on intellectual property rights protection be enhanced amongst innovators. Endi