President William Ruto on Monday announced a KSh4.5 billion science and engineering complex at the University of Nairobi, deepening Kenya’s growing partnership with France in higher education, research and technology.
The project, to be built at the university’s Chiromo campus, was unveiled during the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, where Mr Ruto appeared alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. Kenyan officials described the facility as one of the country’s most ambitious investments in scientific training and innovation in recent years.
The planned complex will focus on engineering, artificial intelligence, green energy, agriculture, health research and manufacturing. Government officials say it is intended to strengthen Kenya’s capacity to train scientists and engineers at a time when African economies are under pressure to compete in a rapidly changing global economy.
“We are investing in our youth to ensure they remain competitive in an ever-evolving technological landscape,” Mr Ruto said in a statement released during the summit.
He added: “This facility will be a premier research hub for both Kenya and the region.”
The announcement comes as Kenya seeks to position itself as a regional centre for technology, research and industrial growth. Nairobi has increasingly attracted foreign investment in digital infrastructure, transport and education, with France emerging as one of the country’s key European partners.
The roots of the project stretch back more than a decade. Discussions first began in 2015 after the French Development Agency invited African universities to submit proposals aimed at expanding science and innovation infrastructure.
Momentum grew in 2019 during Mr Macron’s first state visit to Kenya under former President Uhuru Kenyatta. That visit resulted in a formal agreement between Nairobi and Paris to jointly support the project.
Funding and legal agreements were later finalised between the University of Nairobi, Kenya’s Ministry of Education and the National Treasury. The architectural contract was awarded in late 2025 after an international competition.
Kenyan officials say the complex will encourage closer collaboration between researchers, students and industry leaders. Supporters of the project argue that stronger investment in science and engineering could help Kenya reduce dependence on imported technologies and develop more local solutions to challenges such as food security, urban growth and climate change.
Still, the announcement is likely to renew debate over spending priorities in Kenya, where universities continue to face financial strain, staff shortages and student funding concerns. Critics have in the past argued that infrastructure projects alone cannot fix deeper problems in the higher education sector.
Neither the Kenyan nor French governments have yet announced when construction will begin or when the complex is expected to open.
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