Universities Unite and Pledge to lead Policy Influence from the Front
On 15th January 2026, The University of Nairobi led by the acting Vice Chancellor hosted vice chancellors and hub leaders from partner universities for the Kenya Science Translation Hub. The meeting’s objective was to sensitize the Vice-Chancellors on this vehicle that would drive change in policies on food systems and enhance awareness to other internal stakeholders on the hub’s planned activities. The Hub, which is an initiative of the AgriFose2030, was launched in October 2025 at UoN, to foster a sustained culture of integrating science translation in curricula and research. The hub will also catalyse and increase the influence of research findings to inform policies especially in the areas of food systems.
The University of Nairobi has been implementing AgriFose2030 for the last 10 years. Speaking during the event, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, Prof. Margaret Hutchinson highlighted the Hub as an institution that resonates with the University’s key mandate of transforming society through research findings. She reiterated that, the hub, will train a new generation of scientist who are informed about policy through specialized courses in systematic review, science translation and theory of change methodology which was developed by the AgriFose2030. The hub is also equipping researchers to clearly articulate how scientific evidence leads directly to better policies and better practices that ensure food security and better lives which translate science to impact.
'For so long, the academia fraternity has been waiting for policy makers to approach them for discourse and in getting solutions for our communities, However, Universities should change the approach and choose to lead from the front in terms of influencing policies. '
The Vice Chancellors celebrated the partnership with Maseno University and the University of Embu as they have demonstrated that collective academic strength is the fastest route to achieving large scale national development. She pledged her support and confirmed that her office is available and fully committed to support the integration of this translation framework into the University’s curricula and research strategy.
Prof. Cecilia Anyango who is the Hub leader at UoN, in her remarks, noted that, most research findings have had a little impact in communities because of them not aligning with the policy making in the agriculture sector. She mentioned that one of the major expectations is to strengthen governance of food and extension systems for agricultural resilience and environmental sustainability in Kenya. “We are hoping that whatever research that is done in the Universities should create impact. The interventions developed at the research level should be able to be applied at the practice level and the policies that are being developed should be evidence based.” She said.
In Kenya, the Hub comprises of the University of Nairobi, University of Embu and Maseno University. Also present in this event was the Vice Chancellor Maseno University, Prof. Julius Nyabundi, Vice Chancellor, and Embu University Prof. Daniel Mugendi together with other Hub leaders who were taken through the implementation process of the Hub. The Vice-Chancellors welcomed the Hub and gave the hub leaders quality insights on how to institutionalize the hub especially with government stakeholders.
The hub will soon announce training opportunities for early career researchers from the Universities on theory of change and science communication while forming a taskforce that will bring together food systems stakeholders from Government, academia, private and public entities to implement and push policy briefs that will be used to influence policies on food systems in Kenya.
