Kenya Launches Indigenous Knowledge Project to Drive Heritage-Based Enterprises
Murang’a Deputy Governor Stephen Munania addresses the media during the official launch of the Indigenous Knowledge Innovation programme at the National Museums of Kenya on 28th January 2025.
The Government has rolled out an ambitious national programme to document, protect and commercialize Kenya’s indigenous knowledge as part of efforts to unlock heritage-based enterprises and expand economic opportunities for local communities.
The initiative, being implemented by the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) through the National Products Industry (NPI), was officially unveiled on Tuesday at the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi, bringing together government officials, county leaders, cultural experts and members of the media.
Speaking during the launch, NMK Board Chair Ewdin Abonyo said that the project seeks to harness Kenya’s rich but often overlooked traditional heritage, including indigenous medicine, food systems, technologies and cultural expressions, and convert them into viable economic assets.
“This is an indigenous-based project anchored on our heritage. As a country, we existed long before Western influence, and we had our own traditional medicine, foods, dances and technologies which we ignored for many years. What we are doing now is bringing that knowledge to the forefront,” he said.
The Board Chair also noted that the programme has so far been rolled out in 13 counties, with plans underway to expand it to all 47 counties. He added that the focus is now shifting from documentation to utilization and commercialization of the knowledge already collected.
“We have reached a point where what we have documented must begin to work for the people. That is why this engagement is important to start using and commercializing what has already been captured,” he said, calling on the media to help amplify the initiative nationally.
Murang’a County Deputy Governor Stephen Munania, who was the chief guest at the event, lauded the programme, saying it presents a unique opportunity to transform cultural heritage into investable assets that can generate jobs and industries.
“By recording indigenous knowledge and recognizing it as intellectual property, we are calling it what it truly is an asset. And assets must be invested in,” said Munania, who represented both Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and the Council of Governors.
He noted that properly harnessed indigenous knowledge could support sectors such as tourism, medicine, storytelling, arts, crafts and food industries, adding that Kenya risks losing billions if such assets remain undocumented.
“You can find products like Muratina being sold abroad, yet the communities that originated them gain nothing. That is what we are trying to change,” he said.
The NMK Director General Prof. Mary Gikungu said the institution is mandated to safeguard both tangible and intangible heritage, stressing that the conference and trade fair are part of efforts to ensure indigenous knowledge contributes to socio-economic development.
“It is time for Kenyans to embrace our forgotten indigenous knowledge. Other countries have done this and reaped immense benefits. We keep asking ourselves, when did we lose ours?” she said.
Prof. Gikungu revealed that NMK has successfully documented and digitised indigenous knowledge from 13 counties, creating secure county-level innovation databanks linked to a national repository.
She described the upcoming Indigenous Knowledge, Intellectual Assets Conference and Trade Fair as a landmark event, noting that it will be the first of its kind in East and Central Africa, and possibly the continent.
National Coordinator for the Heritage-Based Enterprises Programme, Dr. Evans Taracha, said the initiative is anchored in Kenya’s Constitution and national legislation, which require the recognition, protection and promotion of indigenous knowledge.
“We are starting with five thematic areas traditional foods and cuisines, indigenous technologies such as regalia and pottery, traditional medicine, performing arts, and heritage sites with cultural tourism potential,” Dr. Taracha explained.
He added that the project has resulted in the establishment of the Indigenous Knowledge Innovation Bank, a unique digital platform developed by Kenyan software engineers to safeguard and promote heritage assets.
He also noted that countries such as China, India and Brazil have successfully leveraged cultural heritage to significantly contribute to their Gross Domestic Product, adding that Kenya is now charting a similar path.
The upcoming investment conference, scheduled for April at Thika Greens in Murang’a County, is expected to bring together community knowledge holders, county and national governments, investors, development partners and the media to explore ways of monetising indigenous knowledge sustainably.
Deputy Governor Munania called on investors, young people and county governments to support the initiative, saying policy frameworks and investment capital are crucial to ensure communities benefit directly from their cultural assets.
