By Meshack M. Ngangi, MPRSK | October 23, 2025
The Co-operative University of Kenya (CUK) recently welcomed a five-member delegation from the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) for a self-evaluation exercise under the Institutional Commercialisation Support (ICS) Programme. The team, led by Senior Innovation Officer Francis Okwara, was received by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kamau Ngamau, and other senior officials of the university.
The visit aimed to evaluate CUK’s progress in strengthening its research and innovation ecosystem using the Entrepreneurial Institutions Maturity Framework (EIMF). This framework helps universities assess their capacity for innovation, entrepreneurship, and commercialization, and identify areas for strategic improvement. Among those present were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic, Co-operative Development, Research and Innovation), Prof. Isaac Nyamobgo; Director of the Directorate of Research and Innovation, Prof. Kennedy Waweru; Mr. Silas Maiyo; and Ms. Yvonne Njeri, a Venture Growth Catalyst Expert from KeNIA.
The Institutional Commercialisation Support (ICS) Programme is a national flagship initiative facilitated by KeNIA in collaboration with the British Council and UKAid. The programme seeks to empower universities and research institutions to effectively translate their research outputs into market-ready innovations and commercial ventures. Through the ICS Programme, KeNIA works with selected universities to review and strengthen their innovation structures, policies, and linkages with industry. The goal is to develop robust commercialization ecosystems that support technology transfer, intellectual property management, and entrepreneurship development within academic institutions.
The Entrepreneurial Institutions Maturity Framework (EIMF) serves as the main evaluation tool for the ICS Programme. It provides a structured approach to assessing a university’s innovation and commercialization capacity across key domains, including leadership and governance, funding, infrastructure, human capital, innovation policies, and industry partnerships. Using this framework, the KeNIA team guided CUK through a reflective process to determine its current innovation maturity level and identify actionable steps for growth. This assessment will inform the development of a tailored Institutional Commercialisation Masterplan for the university.
Speaking during the session, Prof. Kamau Ngamau emphasized CUK’s commitment to nurturing a vibrant research and innovation culture that contributes to Kenya’s socio-economic transformation. He noted that partnerships with national agencies like KeNIA are essential for strengthening the university’s role in driving entrepreneurship and technology-based development. Also, Prof. Isaac Nyamongo highlighted that the exercise marked an essential milestone in CUK’s journey toward becoming an entrepreneurial university.
Following the self-evaluation, KeNIA and CUK will collaborate on a commercialization roadmap aimed at enhancing research uptake, industry engagement, and sustainable innovation outcomes.
