JKUAT Subsidiaries to Lead Commercialization Efforts - Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology

*JKUAT Industrial Park Director Prof. Kibet Langat (left) showcases one of the devices assembled at the company*

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology will leverage subsidiary companies to support its bid to turn innovations into commercial products and services. JKUAT currently own two companies namely JKUAT Industrial Park and JKUAT Enterprises. The two companies were spawned out of the need to ensure marketization of useful ideas from the university.

Speaking during a visit to the companies, the Chairperson of JKUAT Council, Dr. James Micah Onsando said the entities should closely work with the university – scout for viable ideas and undertake commercialization of the promising ones.

According to the Director of the JKUAT Industrial Park Prof. Kibet Langat, the company aims to stimulate and manage the flow of knowledge and technology among the university, companies and markets.

JKUAT Industrial Park is focusing on priority sectors such as ICT, electronics, biotechnology, and agro-machinery. Previous projects successfully handled by the company include the government’s digital literacy programme where it’s consortium supplied and deployed 390,412 digital learning devices in 7879 primary schools spread across 21 counties.

Additionally, during the 2019 Kenya National Census, JKUAT Industrial Park successfully delivered 97,466 mobile devices, over 73,000 power banks and 20,000 solar charges under a contract by the kenya National Bureau of Statistics. The company currently runs three devise assembly lines with capacity to produce over 3000 devices per day.

JKUAT Enterprises on the other hand has been instrumental in commercialization of agricultural and service products. The company is known for producing high quality seedlings and value added agricultural products. It also offers specialized training programs targeting government, and private sector players.

JKUAT Enterprises has so far propagated and distributed over 10 million seedlings to all parts of Kenya, significantly boosting the government’s tree growing campaign. Its training programmes have also covered important issues and sectors such as ICT, health, agroforestry, food security and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi said that JKUAT had consolidated a strong framework of turning innovations into commercial products, adding that the companies will play important roles in aiding JKUAT to be an entrepreneurial university.