Dr Ernest Wandera recognised as Best Oral Presenter at STRI Week 2026
Dr Ernest Wandera (Kenya), EDCTP Career Development Fellow and Research Scientist in the Institute’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Division at KEMRI, has been recognised as the Best Oral Presenter during the plenary session of the Science, Technology, Research and Innovation (STRI) Week 2026.
The event, held on 20 May 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, featured Dr Wandera’s presentation on the development of a prototype lateral flow antigen (LFA) test kit for rapid point-of-care diagnosis of COVID-19. The research was conducted under his EDCTP2 Career Development Fellowship and reflects efforts to strengthen local diagnostic capacity and improve preparedness for emerging infectious diseases.
The award was presented by Dr Shaukat Abdulrazak, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Science, Research and Innovation. The study showed the prototype kit could detect SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Beta and Omicron, with high specificity.
Dr Wandera said the innovation could become a critical tool for expanding COVID-19 testing in resource-limited settings and could be adapted for future emerging infectious diseases, thereby strengthening Kenya’s domestic diagnostic and biotechnology capacity.