ACA Executive Director Chairs Consultative Meeting on Proposed National IP Policy and Strategy

The Executive Director of the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Dr. Robi M. King’a, PhD, chaired a consultative meeting with the Technical Working Group on the proposed National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy (NIPPS).

The meeting brought together key state agencies involved in the process, including the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA), Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), Kenya National Innovation Agency (KENIA), National Research Fund (NRF), and the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS), to deliberate on the proposed policy and strategy and agree on the way forward.

Also in attendance was the team from the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), which is overseeing the WIPO-sponsored project supporting the development of the policy framework.

Discussions focused on the work undertaken so far by the Technical Working Group, the progress made in developing the proposed policy and strategy, and the next steps towards public participation. The consultative engagement provided an important platform for the participating institutions to align their views, review priority issues, and strengthen coordination around the process.

The proposed National Intellectual Property Policy and Strategy is expected to provide a more coordinated framework for the protection, management, and promotion of intellectual property in Kenya. It is also expected to support innovation, strengthen competitiveness, and contribute to sustainable socio-economic development by ensuring that intellectual property is better integrated into the country’s development agenda.

The meeting reaffirmed the importance of inter-agency collaboration in shaping a policy framework that responds to the country’s evolving innovation and intellectual property landscape, while also laying the foundation for the next stage of stakeholder engagement through public participation.