Despite the continent's booming startup scene, only a handful of countries  –Tunisia, Congo, and Nigeria– have legal frameworks specifically designed to support and nurture local startups. Kenya, with its vibrant tech hub, aims to join this exclusive club in 2024 by enacting its own Startup Act.

Kenya's Startup Bill, which has been in the Senate since 2021, will be enacted in 2024, President William Ruto (Photo, left) announced at the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) last week. This landmark legislation promises to be a game-changer for Kenyan innovators, offering them not only a supportive legal framework but also tangible benefits and a dedicated platform to access various resources.

“By March, or April next year, we will have a firm startup law in Kenya, which will assist many of our innovators to de-risk their innovations and turn them into businesses," said President Ruto. 

Despite lacking such a framework, Kenya's tech ecosystem has consistently attracted most of the investments in Africa in recent years, along with Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. According to Disrupt Africa’s "The African Tech Startups Funding Report 2022”, Kenyan startups captured  $574.8 million in investments in 2022, $292 million in 2021, and $191.4 million in 2020. This bill is expected to further enhance Kenya's attractiveness, create jobs and wealth, and connect research institutes with businesses.

Adoni Conrad Quenum