Who we are
The KEMRI–Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP) is a partnership between the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), the Wellcome Trust, and the University of Oxford. Established in 1989, the Programme conducts multi-disciplinary research spanning molecular and cellular science, clinical research, epidemiology, population health, and health systems, economics and policy research. It is headquartered in Kilifi, with an additional research hub in Nairobi and a collaborative site at the Mbale Clinical Research Institute in Mbale, eastern Uganda. KWTRP works through strong national, regional, and global partnerships to deliver high quality and innovative science and develop health research capacity.
To conduct high-quality, innovative, and purposeful research that advances human health, while building sustainable research capacity and leadership in Africa.
To be a globally leading African research institution advancing human health through impactful science, innovation, and capacity development.
Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Transparency and accountability, Respect, Equity and Collaboration
Strategic Anchors
At the heart of the KWTRP strategy is a deliberate and expanded focus on maximising impact on population health and research capacity. Programme research is purposefully informed by and aligned with the most pressing local, regional, and global health priorities, ensuring that the work remains relevant, responsive, and transformative.
KWTRP has over the years built a strong foundation in high-burden infectious diseases and child and neonatal health and continue expanding into emerging priority areas, including maternal health, non-communicable diseases, climate-related health threats, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning in healthcare, and primary healthcare systems. We proactively establish multi-country research collaborations and pursuing studies designed to generate cross-context evidence for policy and practice across sub-Saharan Africa. The Programme has invested in strengthening knowledge translation, deepening partnerships with policymakers, health professionals, and implementers to bridge the gap between evidence and decision-making. Additionally building strategic alliances with industry to enable the commercialisation of our discoveries, enabling us to advance innovations.
Sustainability is a central pillar of the Programmes strategic direction. We are committed to building a robust institutional foundation that can thrive in an evolving global health research funding environment. We aim to support this through diversifying our funding base by establishing a dedicated resource mobilisation function that proactively scans and responds to global health funding opportunities. We prioritise supporting early-career researchers in their transition to independence and leadership. By building capacity to drive our scientific strategy and successfully mobilise the grant funding required for its delivery, by cultivating a critical mass of independent investigators. We have optimised and restructured our core research and operational platforms to improve efficiency. This includes introducing cost-rationalisation, cost-sharing, and alternative financing models.
At KWTRP, we are committed to cultivating an organisational environment that empowers people, fosters excellence and innovation, supports collaboration, and upholds the highest standards of integrity, equity, and well-being. We aim to define and measure our research and organisational culture. prioritise targeted interventions that strengthen our institutional culture. These include improvements to our schemes of service, adoption of flexible working arrangements, gender equity initiatives, safeguarding and staff well-being, and efforts to build greater staff cohesion and community, while embedding monitoring mechanisms to track progress, identify areas for improvement and accountability. Recognizing that leadership sets the tone we invest in a coaching and mentorship programme for current and future leaders and embedded 360-degree appraisals to promote transparency, responsiveness, and accountability.
Hubs
The Programme has two main hubs in Kenya but works in many other parts of the country and is increasingly involved in regional collaborations to support research in neighbouring countries.
The main centre in Kilifi County, an hour’s drive from Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa, is based in a busy county hospital, serving over half a million people and linking basic studies to clinical applications with local relevance. We also work in Malindi, Mombasa and Mtwapa.
In Nairobi, our unit is based at 197 Lenana Place, along Lenana Road. This unit has strong links with the Ministry of Health, facilitating the translation of research findings into health policy. Work is carried out in collaboration with other centres of KEMRI and Ministries of Health and education in many other districts.
The Ugandan unit is based in Mbale town within the Mbale Regional Referral Hospital and was founded in 2008 in response to the need for evidenced based clinical guidelines.
