Promising innovators to be awarded next month - Ruto

By Peter Ochieng

President William Ruto says his administration has launched the Presidential Innovation Award (PIA) to recognise the most promising innovations in the country.

Winners will be feted during this year's edition of Jamhuri Day Celebrations, on 12th December.

The Head of State said that this year’s edition will consider submissions from all counties, covering food security and agriculture, digital transformation, healthcare, entertainment and gaming, climate action and green energy.

He made the remarks on Monday during the official opening of the 2023 Kenya Innovation Week, Commonwealth Edition at the College of Insurance in Nairobi.

Ruto at the same time said his government is committed to accelerating the commercialisation of research and innovation in the country.

He noted that provision of incentives and the scaling up funding in innovation, will expand opportunities for the youth, with a goal of promoting the achievement of innovation, value creation and competitive advantage.

“We have no choice except to recognise innovation as a promising instrument for unlocking the doors of unprecedented opportunities,” he added.

The President observed that the youth play a pivotal role in driving innovation within the country’s economy, citing that youth-driven start-ups secured US dollars 700 million last year.

As such, he explained, the government is deliberately promoting the innovative mindset from an early age, through the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).

“The objective is to facilitate the rapid development of a sustainable pipeline of globally competitive innovators,” he added.

Present were Patricia Scotland the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Cabinet Secretaries and various leaders.