Institute Showcases Role of Intellectual Property in Driving Industrial Growth at the Kenya Industrialization Summit, 2026

Photo: Mr. Allan Kosgey (Right), Institute's Board Chairman, briefing H.E President William Ruto on its mandate and contribution to the promotion and protection of IP rights in the country. Flanking the Head of State is Mr. Lee Kinyanjui (Left), CS MITI, among others.

The Institute participated in the 2026 Kenya Industrialisation Summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi, from the 2nd to 4th November, 2026. 

Organised by the Ministry of Investments, Trade and Industry (MITI) under the theme, Driving Industrial Growth Through Investment, Manufacturing, Trade, Innovation and Sustainable Financing, the Summit brought together government leaders, investors, manufacturers, innovators and other industry players to discuss ways of strengthening Kenya's industrial capacity and accelerating economic growth. 

Discussions focused on creating an enabling environment for local manufacturing, promoting value addition, attracting investment and supporting innovation as a driver of industrial development.

During the three-day event, officers drawn from the Institute’s Trade Marks, Patents and Research, Innovation & Industrial Property Information Departments engaged manufacturers, inventors, innovators and entrepreneurs, including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), at its Booth, highlighting the importance of protecting intellectual property (IP) as a way of building competitive businesses and creating market opportunities. 

One of the highlights was the participation of the women basket weavers from Taita Taveta County, who showcased their branded product, Taita Basket, whose brand/ collective mark was registered with the Institute. 

The group's Chairlady, Ms Hilder Mbuwa, shared their experience during a testimonial session ahead of the Presidential Plenary Session. She acknowledged the Institute’s role in training and creating awareness on IP, noting that the protection of their brand had strengthened their business and supported their efforts to access the international markets, including the European Union, through exports. 

Their experience demonstrated how IP protection and commercialisation can help local enterprises turn their products and creativity into valuable business assets.

The Institute’s Board Chairman, Mr. Allan Kosgey, also represented the Institute in a plenary session on Driving Industrial Innovation, Technology and Digital Transformation, where he highlighted the important role of IP plays in supporting manufacturing, innovation and economic competitiveness. 

He outlined the Institute’s commitment to strengthening the country's IP system to encourage and protect innovation, while urging manufacturers and innovators to make greater use of the available IP protection services. 

He emphasised that IP should not be viewed merely as a registration process but as an important business tool that enables innovators to transform their ideas into valuable products and services, build strong brands and gain a competitive edge in the marketplace. 

He further called on Kenyans to take advantage of the Institute’s services to protect and maximise the value of their innovations.

The Summit concluded on 4th November, 2026 with a tour of the exhibition area, including the Institute’s Booth by H.E. President William Ruto, accompanied by Hon. Lee Kinyanjui, the Cabinet Secretary, MITI, Principal Secretaries Dr. Juma Mukhwana (Industry), Ms. Regina Ombam (Trade), Mr. Abubakar Hassan Abubakar (Investments), and other senior government officials, including Mr. Kosgey. 

During the visit to the Institute’s Booth, Mr Kosgey briefed the President on its mandate and contribution to the promotion and protection of IP rights in the country. 

He noted that while more innovators and entrepreneurs were embracing trade mark registration to protect their brands, the challenge remained in helping them move from registration to commercialisation so that their IP assets could generate income, create employment and contribute to the national economy. 

The President called on the Institute to intensify public awareness efforts to encourage more Kenyans to register and protect their brands, noting the importance of innovation in driving industrial growth. 

The Institute’s participation in the Summit provided an important platform to showcase its work, engage industry stakeholders and reinforce its position as a key partner in the country’s industrial transformation