PS Shaukat Calls for Demand-Driven Research and Stronger Science Communication During Visit to KIPRE Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation, Prof. Shaukat Abdulrazak, EBS, today visited the Kenya Institute of Primate Research (KIPRE), where he reaffirmed the Government's commitment to strengthening Kenya's research ecosystem and ensuring scientific research translates into tangible social-economic benefits. During a tour of the institute's laboratories and research facilities, the Principal Secretary commended KIPRE for its contribution to biomedical research, infectious disease surveillance, reproductive health research, and other scientific programmes that support national and global health priorities. Prof. Abdulrazak emphasized that research should be purposeful and impact-driven, noting that scientific discoveries must progress beyond laboratories into innovation, commercialization and job creation. "Research should not be an end in itself. It should generate solutions, drive innovation and ultimately improve the lives of our people through products, technologies and employment opportunities," he said. The Principal Secretary challenged Kenyan researchers to emulate leading global research institutions by embracing excellence, collaboration and innovation. Drawing from his visits to research institutions in South Korea, Singapore, India and the United Kingdom, he observed that Kenya has the human capital needed to compete globally but must strengthen its research systems and invest more in science and innovation. He also called on scientists to communicate their work more effectively, noting that many groundbreaking discoveries remain unknown to the public because researchers rarely engage with mainstream media. "We have excellent scientists and world-class research taking place in Kenya. We must tell these stories so that Kenyans appreciate the value of investing in science, research and innovation," he said. Prof. Abdulrazak reiterated the Government's commitment to increasing investment in research, reducing dependence on donor funding and implementing key initiatives such as the Science, Research and Innovation Synergy Blueprint, the National Research Financing and Capacity Strengthening Master Plan, competitive research chairs and thematic research clusters. He further encouraged KIPRE to position itself as a regional centre of excellence and actively pursue international partnerships, including opportunities under the proposed Grand Challenges Initiative, which aims to support transformative research addressing Kenya's development priorities. The Principal Secretary noted that collaboration among research institutions, universities, industry and government is essential in building a vibrant national innovation ecosystem capable of producing globally competitive research and accelerating Kenya's socio-economic transformation. The visit forms part of the State Department's ongoing engagement with research institutions to strengthen the country's science, research and innovation ecosystem in line with the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and Kenya's long-term development aspirations.