Browsing by Author "Kevin Wachira"

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    Entrepreneurial Leadership as a Catalytic Factor for Research Commercialization in Select Kenyan Universities
    (African Journal of Emerging issues, 2026-03-20) Kevin Wachira; Onesmus Mbaabu; Peter Kamoni; Robert Ombati; Daniel Mutua
    Purpose of the study:This paper examined how entrepreneurial leadership within select Kenyan universities influences the commercialization of research outputs. Problem Statement:Under the pressure of reduced government funding and major changes in the higher education funding model, universities in Kenya are finding themselves in a position where they must innovate and commercialize their research output to earn much-needed revenue.Method:Fourteen universities supported by theKenya National Innovation Agency in 2023/2024 to strengthen their institutional capacity for research commercialization under the Institutional Support Program were selected for this study. Through a qualitative research approach, the study gathered the stories of individual institution leaders and Institutional Working Group (IWG) members and looked for patterns within those. Data was analyzed through descriptive content analysis to determine the direction of the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and research commercialization success.Findings:The main finding was that the institutional leadership supported research commercialization activities with deliberate decisions and progressive actions, as evidenced herein. However, there were still bottlenecks to the process including human resource motivation issues, inadequate/and or conflicting institutional policy framework for research commercialization, and resource deficiencies. Conclusion: Entrepreneurial leadership plays a catalytic role in driving research commercialization in Kenyan universities, but persistent structural and policy-related barriers must be addressed for sustainable impact.Recommendation:Universities should institutionalize entrepreneurial leadership practices by streamlining decision-making structures, incentivizing innovation, and enhancing commercialization-supportive policies.Keywords: Entrepreneurial leadership, innovation, research commercialization, Kenya, universities
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    Exploring the State of Virtual Business Incubation in Kenya: A Survey of Selected Business Incubators
    (Lukenya University, 2026-04-15) Kevin Wachira
    There remains a significant level of unemployment in Kenya especially among the young generation of under 35 years of age. The Government of Kenya, its development partners and private sector continue to put efforts to alleviate this problem. One of their major focus points is entrepreneurship especially at micro and small levels. Unfortunately, these micro and small enterprises have continued to record high mortality rates hence persistence of the unemployment problem. To reduce startup mortality rates business incubation has been evidenced by some studies as a viable solution. However, most incubation activities are done in on-site brick and mortar business incubators requiring face-toface interactions between the incubators’ staff and facilities and incubates. Unfortunately, this model of operation is under serious threat particularly with the advent of COVID 19 pandemic globally. This study aimed at finding out the state of virtual business incubation in Kenya. It was anchored in Schumpeter’s Theory of Creative Destruction as improved in the Simon’s Model. It employed a descriptive survey research design whereby a semi structured questionnaire was electronically issued to six randomly selected business incubators spread across six counties in the country. The main finding was that business incubators in Kenya had not taken up virtual incubation within a majority of their services, except in training and networking. Lack of reliable ICT infrastructure and failure by the incubators to re-package their services in a manner that would facilitate online delivery were cited as the main challenges facing virtual business incubation in the country. Nevertheless, the study noted that business incubators appreciate the benefits posed by virtual incubation and were optimistic about its future adoption. The study recommends that larger scale indepth studies be carried out to identify specific factors influencing effective virtual business incubation in Kenya. Key Words: Virtual Business Incubation, COVID 19, Start-up, SMEs