For generations, Kenyan communities have carried wealth in their memories, in the herbs that healed, the foods that fed families, the songs that preserved history, and the stories that defined identity.
Much of this knowledge was never written down, rarely protected, and often exploited elsewhere, even as similar traditions abroad were transformed into thriving industries.
Now, Kenya is placing a bold bet on knowledge itself.
The government, working through the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), has launched the Indigenous Knowledge Innovation Bank, a digital system designed to document, secure, and commercialise indigenous knowledge, turning long-overlooked traditions into intellectual property and economic assets owned by communities.
The launch brought together top officials, including NMK Board Chair, NMK Director General Prof. Mary Gikungu, Murang’a Deputy Governor Stephen Munania, and Evans Taracha, national coordinator of the Heritage-Based Enterprises programmer.
"We are not just preserving information. We are creating a platform that allows communities to move their knowledge into the marketplace while retaining ownership,” said Murang'a deputy governor Stephen Munania, warning of the risks of lost opportunities
“You can go to the UK and find a wine called Muratina. It originated from the Agikuyu people, yet someone else is making millions from it. The community gains nothing because the knowledge was never recorded or protected," he said.
Munania added, “This is about safeguarding our heritage wealth while using it to develop goods and services that can compete in the market. It creates a new growth area for the economy based on heritage-based enterprises.”
So far, indigenous knowledge from 13 counties has been recorded, with plans underway to expand the innovation bank to all 47 counties.
The databank captures traditional foods and local cuisines, indigenous technologies such as pottery and regalia, traditional medicine, performing arts, and culturally significant heritage sites with tourism potential.
Officials say the innovation bank marks a shift from treating culture as nostalgia to recognising it as capital.
By converting oral traditions into protected data, the system aims to prevent loss, curb exploitation, and open pathways for investment.
Developed by Kenyan software engineers, the innovation bank links county-level repositories to a national database, creating one of the most comprehensive indigenous knowledge systems in Africa.
"Unlike similar models elsewhere that focus narrowly on traditional medicine, Kenya’s approach spans food systems, creative industries, technologies, and cultural tourism," said Evans Taracha, national coordinator of the Heritage-Based Enterprises programmer.
He said that the bank addresses a long-standing barrier to investment, which is the absence of organised, credible data.
“In the absence of data, it is very difficult to create investment opportunities. This system allows us to secure knowledge while guiding communities on how to harness it for socio-economic development and cottage industry creation," Taracha noted.
The programme’s next major milestone will be the first Indigenous Knowledge Investment Conference in East and Central Africa, scheduled for April.
The forum will bring together community knowledge holders, county and national governments, private investors, development partners, and the media to chart pathways from documentation to commercialisation.
While funding is being coordinated at the national level, counties involved in the pilot phase are expected to support the initiative, with the Council of Governors helping to align policy and budgetary frameworks.
"Globally, countries such as China, India, and Brazil already derive significant portions of their GDP from culture and heritage industries," Taracha added.
Kenyan officials believe the Indigenous Knowledge Innovation Bank could lay the foundation for similar gains if communities remain at the centre of ownership and benefit-sharing.
Knowledge once shared only through word of mouth is now being secured in digital systems, protected by law, and positioned as a driver of economic opportunity.
If the gamble pays off, Kenya’s future growth may be powered not by imported ideas, but by wisdom that has always existed at home.
