05/05/2026
Kenya’s patent data tells a story we cannot ignore.
A landmark analysis of three decades of Kenyan patent data reveals a widening innovation gap that demands urgent policy action, argues Maurice Bolo, director of the Scinnovent Centre, Kenya, with implications that SGCI researchers and policymakers across the continent cannot afford to ignore.
As the world marked World Intellectual Property Day on 26 April, Kenya finds itself at a critical juncture in its innovation journey.
A new book, Patents and Beyond: Intellectual Property Rights Acquisition in Kenya, offers a timely and data-driven reflection on how the country is generating, protecting, and using intellectual property (IP). The findings point to encouraging progress, but also to structural gaps that could undermine Kenya’s industrial ambitions if left unaddressed.
Read more: https://sgciafrica.org/kenya-innovation-gap-patents-ip.../
A 30-year analysis of Kenya’s patent data reveals a growing innovation gap, with low local patent success, gender disparities, and weak industry links threatening the country’s industrial ambitions.