Who Will Profit From African Ingenuity?

A new $4 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to KEMRI has been announced as a major investment in African women’s health research.
But beneath the headlines and press releases, serious questions remain about patent ownership, data control, and scientific sovereignty.

Who will own the medical products and patents developed under this programme?
Where will African women’s health data be stored — in Kenya or abroad?
And what does “African-led innovation” truly mean when the key agreements are never made public?

This episode takes a closer look at the deal behind the headlines — explaining how donor-funded research works, what’s at stake for Kenya’s scientific independence, and why many Kenyans are demanding transparency before celebration.

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