KEMRI Selected as Partner in New German-Kenyan Centre of Excellence on Artificial Intelligence

By Lisper Mokaya

The Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) has been named a partner in a new German-Kenyan Centre of Excellence that will advance the responsible application of artificial intelligence (AI) in public health, the environment, and society.

According to an announcement by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on 12^th October 2026, the Centre for Applied and Responsible Artificial Intelligence for Society and Environment (ARAISE) will be led by the University of Tübingen, Germany, in collaboration with three Kenyan institutions: Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT), which will host the centre, KEMRI and Maseno University.

The initiative will bring together research, teaching and training in AI, with a focus on developing practical applications in public health, environmental and geospatial research, and social inclusion.

Plans include establishing joint German-Kenyan research groups to undertake projects such as AI-supported health research, alongside collaborative Master’s and PhD-level teaching and training programmes on the responsible use of AI.

The Kenyan centre will receive approximately €4.2 million in funding from German government sources, with support available until the end of 2031.

KEMRI’s participation places the Institute within an international research collaboration aimed at strengthening scientific cooperation, developing research capacity and promoting the practical application of AI to address societal challenges. In KEMRI, this new partnership will be led by Dr. Collins Okoyo, Principal Statistician and Deputy Director, Department of Epidemiology, Statistics and Informatics. The African Institute of Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) will be an associated partner, building on its existing collaboration with KEMRI.

The initiative is part of DAAD’s Centres of African Excellence programme, which supports research capacity, academic cooperation and knowledge transfer between African and German institutions.

Read the full announcement by DAAD: https://www.daad.de/en/press-releases/2026/new-centres-of-excellence-selected-daad-strengthens-research-teaching-and-knowledge-transfer-in-the-fields-of-ai-and-infrastructure-in-sub-saharan-africa/