KEMRI Seeks Greater Government Support to Commercialise Health Innovations



By Fride Amiani

NAIROBI, July 22, 2026 -The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has called for increased government funding, stronger policy support and legislative reforms to accelerate health research, commercialise locally developed innovations and strengthen the country's preparedness against emerging and re-emerging diseases.

The appeal was made during an oversight and budget implementation visit by the Parliamentary Health Committee at KEMRI headquarters in Nairobi, where the institute's leadership and lawmakers reviewed the institution's progress, funding needs and future priorities.

Speaking during the visit, KEMRI Director-General Prof. Elijah Songok said the engagement provided an opportunity to assess how public resources allocated to the institution had been utilised, evaluate the implementation of key programmes and identify areas requiring additional government support.

"While KEMRI is now a specialised degree-awarding institution following the granting of a university charter, we remain under the Ministry of Health. The Ministry of Education provides oversight on academic matters, but our core mandate continues to be health research, innovation and capacity building in support of the country's healthcare system," said Prof. Songok.

He described the visit as significant, noting that it was the first parliamentary oversight engagement since KEMRI received its university charter. According to the Director-General, the charter has expanded the institution's responsibilities while maintaining its commitment to scientific research that addresses Kenya's health priorities.

Prof. Songok said KEMRI scientists have developed several products, including vaccines, diagnostic technologies, sanitisers and traditional medicine solutions. However, he noted that many of these innovations have not reached hospitals or the wider public because of regulatory and procurement barriers.

"We are appealing for policy and legislative support to ensure that products developed by KEMRI receive priority within government procurement under the Buy Kenya, Build Kenya initiative. Our innovations should benefit Kenyans by reaching hospitals, health facilities and communities across the country," he said.

The Director-General also called for increased domestic investment in research, revealing that nearly 70 per cent of KEMRI's research funding currently comes from external development partners.

He said greater local financing would strengthen the institute's sustainability, reduce reliance on donor funding and enable researchers to respond more effectively to Kenya's evolving health challenges.

Parliamentary Health Committee Chairperson Dr. James Nyikal said the committee had assessed KEMRI's expanded role following the award of its university charter and recognised the need to align its research and training functions with the institution's new mandate.

"We have noted that KEMRI does a lot of research and actually produces medical products that can be used in the market and hospitals, but we have found out that a lot of them are not marketed commercially," said Dr. Nyikal.

He said the committee had recommended measures to support the commercialisation of KEMRI's innovations, arguing that successful commercialisation would generate additional revenue for the institution while ensuring research outcomes directly benefit the public.

Dr. Nyikal further emphasised the importance of strengthening collaboration among institutions involved in health research, including KEMRI, BioVax, the Primate Research Institute and the National Cancer Institute.

He noted that closer cooperation would reduce duplication of research activities, encourage knowledge sharing and ensure that public resources are utilised more efficiently.

The legislator also assured KEMRI of the committee's commitment to reviewing its funding requirements and supporting projects requiring additional resources to ensure they are completed within the planned timelines.

The oversight visit highlighted Parliament's continued role in monitoring the implementation of public programmes while providing a platform for addressing policy and funding challenges affecting key national institutions.

With KEMRI expanding its academic role while maintaining its focus on health research and innovation, both the institute's leadership and lawmakers expressed optimism that stronger government support, improved coordination and favourable procurement policies would help transform locally developed medical innovations into products that improve healthcare delivery and contribute to Kenya's economic growth.

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