Application of Science and Technology: Essentials and Promotion of Linkage Between Research and Development (R and D) and Entrepreneurship

Abstract

In order for Kenya to address the many challenges facing the country such as poverty, unemployment, HIV/AIDS etc., the economy is required to grow sustainably at more than 7% p.a. To realize this economic growth, the government has to put into place a number of initiatives including: Sessional Paper No. 2 of 1997 on industrial transformation; Sessional paper on Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) with focus on employment creation and poverty reduction; Economic recovery Strategy Paper (2003-2007) that lays emphasis on employment and wealth creation; Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (2001-2004) that emphasizes the need to make curriculum in higher educational institutions more relevant to the needs of the economy; New Partnership for Development with a focus on improving public-private partnership in Kenya's development; Millennium Development goals that lay emphasis on reducing extreme poverty by half by 2015 and implementation of national strategy for sustainable development in every country by 2005. With the above background it is worth nothing that the trade and industry sector accounted for 45% of Kenya's total export earnings in 2003, and further that the sector accounted for economic recovery because it responds and recovers faster than other sectors