When KCA University Vice Chancellor Professor Isaiah I.C Wakindiki addressed graduands during the institution’s 19th graduation ceremony, his message was unmistakably forward-looking.
As the university conferred degrees to 3,286 graduates, he framed their achievement within the realities of a rapidly evolving global knowledge economy.
“This is the era of Artificial Intelligence, and anybody who does not embrace AI will very soon be obsolete,” Professor Wakindiki said.
“At KCA University, we are ahead. We have embraced AI and are embedding it into our curriculum, teaching, and research. AI is now part of how we train, innovate, and generate knowledge.”
That statement encapsulates the strategic direction KCA University is taking, one where technology, research, and innovation are not optional add-ons, but core academic drivers.
This vision was further unpacked in an in-depth interview with Professor Vincent O. Onywera, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Research, Innovation and Outreach, whose portfolio sits at the centre of the university’s transformation agenda.
In an era where universities are increasingly judged not only by the degrees they award but by the solutions they generate, KCA University is deliberately positioning itself as a hub of applied knowledge, innovation, and enterprise.
According to Professor Onywera, this shift is intentional and systemic.
“What we’ve done at KCA University is to create an enabling ecosystem that does not only support teaching and learning, but also supports research, innovation, incubation, and commercialisation of research outputs,” he said.
This ecosystem is built on robust systems, clear policies, and deliberate investment in infrastructure. Research, innovation, incubation, and enterprise development are not treated as parallel activities operating in silos.
Instead, they are designed as interconnected pillars within a single institutional framework aimed at translating ideas into impact.
KCA University has established business incubation hubs, common entrepreneurship units, and dedicated directorates focused on research support, innovation, and partnerships.
These structures ensure that both students and faculty receive guidance from the earliest stages of ideation through to product development, intellectual property protection, and eventual commercialisation.
Entrepreneurship is not reserved for a select group of students.
“We ensure that all our students take a university common unit on entrepreneurship,” Professor Onywera noted. This approach embeds entrepreneurial thinking across disciplines, ensuring that innovation becomes part of the institutional culture rather than an extracurricular activity.
Crucially, the university provides internal financial support for promising research ideas, recognising that innovation must often be nurtured locally before it can attract external or international funding.
Equally important is the protection of student ideas. “We make sure that the student ideas are protected,” Professor Onywera emphasised, pointing to the use of non-disclosure agreements and formal filings with the Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI) and the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO).
From Classrooms to Boardrooms: Student-Led Innovation
The strength of KCA University’s research and innovation agenda is perhaps best illustrated by its student outputs. In the current academic year alone, students developed 22 prototypes, 17 of which have been formally filed, with 3 already commercialised.
These innovations cut across sectors that are central to Kenya’s socio-economic development, including artificial intelligence, agribusiness, fintech, sports technology, education, mental health, non-communicable diseases, and medical solutions, among others.
Professor Onywera was keen to point out that these outcomes are not accidental.
They are the result of close collaboration between students and faculty mentors, who guide learners through research design, product development, validation, and market positioning.
This mentorship culture reinforces the university’s philosophy that students should graduate not only with academic credentials but with tangible products, intellectual property, and entrepreneurial confidence.
In one standout example, a student-led mental health innovation impressed the DVC so much that it became a reference point for what is possible when research meets real-world need.
The student behind the innovation later secured employment at Microsoft as a software engineer, underscoring the link between innovation, employability, and global competitiveness.
Supporting Research Beyond the Campus
Research support at KCA University extends well beyond the classroom and laboratory.
Through VC and CEO Research and Innovation Grants, support for international funding applications, and facilitation of conference travel, students and faculty are encouraged to engage with global research communities.
According to Professor Onywera, this exposure is essential in building confidence, academic maturity, and competitiveness. It also reinforces the university’s emphasis on collaboration rather than competition as the true driver of innovation.
Equally important is the institution’s emphasis on inclusivity and care. The research environment at KCA is deliberately designed to be supportive rather than intimidating, fostering a sense of belonging that encourages young researchers to take intellectual risks.
Challenge-Based Learning: Changing How Students Learn
At the core of KCA University’s pedagogy is Challenge-Based Learning (CBL). Rather than relying solely on traditional lectures and examinations, students are immersed in real-world problems and guided by lecturers as they design solutions.
This approach ensures that learning is experiential, interdisciplinary, and outcome-driven. Students learn by doing, testing ideas, failing, refining, and ultimately delivering solutions that respond to real societal and industry challenges.
The results are already visible. Professor Onywera noted that KCA University students ranked top in a recent British Council study on job readiness, reinforcing the institution’s claim that its graduates are better prepared for the demands of the modern economy.
Partnerships, Industry Linkages and Community Impact
Research and innovation at KCA University are deliberately outward-facing. A dedicated directorate focuses on partnerships, collaboration, and industry linkages, ensuring that academic work translates into real-world impact.
Through strong industry relationships, the university provides platforms for testing research outputs, solving sector-specific challenges, and offering students meaningful internship and attachment opportunities. These partnerships also ensure that curricula remain responsive to industry needs.
Professor Onywera stressed that partnerships must move beyond signed Memoranda of Understanding. Implementation, shared ownership, and co-creation are essential if collaborations are to deliver lasting value to both industry and society.
Strategic Vision: Scaling Innovation for the Future
Looking ahead, KCA University’s 2024–2028 strategic plan places research and innovation at the centre of institutional growth.
Following a recent Industry Summit, the university outlined plans to scale up innovation outputs, strengthen business incubation hubs, and increase patent filings.
Among the innovations highlighted was the development of AI-enabled spectacles designed to assist visually impaired individuals, a powerful example of how technology, empathy, and research can converge to solve human challenges.
It is also a reflection of the university’s alignment with the Vice Chancellor’s vision of embedding AI into learning and research.
Professor Onywera emphasised that scaling innovation requires more than funding alone. It demands a fully integrated ecosystem that brings together people, policies, infrastructure, and institutional culture.
Insights from the Quick-Fire Session
In a rapid-fire exchange, Professor Onywera offered candid reflections on research and innovation at KCA University:
Research at KCA was described in one word as dynamic.
Internal funding was identified as more impactful than external grants because “you have to start from somewhere.”
The biggest barrier to student research remains culture, the outdated perception that universities exist only for teaching.
Challenge-based learning was identified as the antidote to passive education.
Collaboration, rather than competition, was cited as the true driver of innovation.
Communication was highlighted as the most important skill for young researchers.
Patents were ranked above publications in terms of impact.
Policies were cited as the strongest form of support for innovators.
With unlimited funding, Professor Onywera would invest first in building a fully inclusive innovation ecosystem.
A Scholar Beyond Administration
Beyond his administrative role, Professor Onywera is an accomplished scholar in exercise and sports science. He offered clarity on the distinctions between exercise, physical activity, and play, reflecting his passion for physical education and holistic human development.
This balance between academic scholarship and institutional leadership reflects the ethos he champions at KCA University, knowledge that informs practice, and leadership grounded in research.
Redefining the Purpose of the University
The conversation with Professor Vincent Onywera reveals a university deeply intentional about its role in society.
KCA University is not merely responding to changes in higher education; it is actively redefining what it means to be a research-led institution in Kenya and beyond.
By embedding AI into learning, protecting and commercialising ideas, supporting innovation through structured ecosystems, and prioritising real-world impact, KCA University is shaping graduates equipped to lead, create, and transform.
In a global knowledge economy where relevance is measured by impact, KCA University’s model offers a compelling blueprint for the future of higher education.
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