OUR VISION
Better systems.
Better lives.
Health and social systems that work better for everyone.
East African research & innovation · Strategy 2027–2032
Better systems.
Better lives.
Designing evidence. Shaping systems. Scaling impact.
Turning research and lived experience into practical solutions for health, technology, young people and inclusive development.
FROM INSIGHT TO IMPACT
People first. Evidence led. Built to last.
EAST AFRICA / 2027–203204Focus areas
05Strategic priorities
06UBUNIFU stages
01 / WHO WE ARERESEARCH · EVIDENCE · INNOVATION
Evidence matters
when it changes lives.
RMKREF Design Lab is an East African social enterprise company headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, dedicated to transforming research, evidence and innovation into practical solutions that improve lives and strengthen communities.
Operating at the intersection of research, technology, policy and practice, we design, test, implement and scale evidence-based innovations that strengthen health systems, advance digital health, promote adolescent wellbeing and drive sustainable social impact.
Through interdisciplinary collaboration, human-centred design and strategic partnerships, we bridge the gap between evidence and action, translating complex development challenges into inclusive, scalable and sustainable solutions that deliver measurable impact.
We design with communities, work within real-world systems and focus on solutions institutions can sustain.
Better systems.
OUR MISSION
From evidence to
meaningful impact.
To design, test, evaluate and scale evidence-informed innovations that transform systems and improve lives.
Listen deeplyDesign togetherTest in contextMake change last
02 / What we do
Four domains.
One shared purpose.
Connecting evidence, people and innovation to tackle challenges that matter across East Africa.
DOMAIN 01
Health systems
strengthening
Primary healthcare, service design, workforce resilience and sustainable financing pathways.
DOMAIN 02
Digital health &
responsible AI
Ethical AI, interoperable data systems, digital infrastructure and inclusive health technology.
DOMAIN 03
Adolescent &
youth wellbeing
Youth co-creation, mental health, social-emotional learning and disability inclusion.
DOMAIN 04
Job Creation
Turning young people's skills and ideas into meaningful jobs, thriving enterprises and sustainable livelihoods through innovation, mentorship and entrepreneurship.
02A / Pathways to work
Design job opportunities.
We believe human-centred innovation should help young people build skills, access meaningful work and create sustainable livelihoods.
RMKREF DESIGN LAB
Design, research & innovation
Interested in human-centred design, evidence translation, digital health, community research or social enterprise? Get in touch to explore future collaborations and expressions of interest.
Human-centred design
Research & evidence
Digital health
Social innovation
Enquire about opportunities
Expressions of interest are welcome. No specific vacancies are currently advertised here.
03 / Strategy 2027–2032
Our five priorities
for lasting change.
A focused agenda to take ideas from co-design to implementation, policy and sustainable scale.
PRIORITY 0101
Innovation & human-centred design
Embedding lived experience, behavioural science and rapid prototyping into health and social systems.
Discuss collaboration
PRIORITY 0202
Digital health, data & responsible AI
Advancing equitable digital ecosystems and ethical data-informed decisions.
Discuss collaboration
PRIORITY 0303
Adolescent health & wellbeing
Building inclusive, youth-led approaches to mental health, resilience and access.
Discuss collaboration
PRIORITY 0404
Implementation & systems scale
Moving evidence into policy, financing and institutionally adopted programmes.
Discuss collaboration
PRIORITY 0505
Research capacity & East African leadership
Supporting locally led research, stronger institutions and the next generation of African research leaders.
Discuss collaboration04 / Our approach
Introducing UBUNIFU.
Our six-stage bilingual pathway takes evidence-informed innovation from problem discovery to sustainable systems scale. Select a stage to explore.
Discover (Gundua)
Understand the problem, population, system and evidence gaps. Ground the work in community experience and real-world conditions.
PEOPLE FIRST / EAST AFRICAThe human side of innovation
Good ideas grow when people shape them.
Communities, young people and institutions are not just part of the solution. Their perspectives help define the problem, shape the response and guide what works in practice.
Explore our approach ↗05 / Working together
Progress is a
collective effort.
Our partnership architecture connects seven groups whose insight, expertise and commitment turn promising innovations into lasting public value.
SHARED EXPERTISE · LOCAL OWNERSHIP
Good ideas move further together.
Research, community insight and institutional action working together for public value.
Universities & research institutions
Collaborative studies, doctoral programmes, evidence generation and implementation science.
Explore partnership↗Government
Policy alignment, implementation environments and institutional adoption.
Explore partnership↗Implementing organisations
Real-world delivery and access to communities and service systems.
Explore partnership↗Technology & AI partners
Software, data architecture, responsible AI and digital infrastructure.
Explore partnership↗Communities & young people
Lived experience, co-design, validation and accountability.
Explore partnership↗Philanthropy & development partners
Catalytic support for research, innovation and scale.
Explore partnership↗Private sector
Technology, investment and pathways to sustainable social impact.
Explore partnership↗06 / Built to last
A sustainable model for public value.
We combine research, partnerships and earned-income activities to support enduring impact rather than one-off interventions.
01Research grants02Philanthropic investment03Design & advisory services04University partnerships05Training & academy06Innovation & intellectual property07Fellowships & endowment
BUILT TO LASTBeyond projects. Towards enduring value.
07 / Let's collaborate
Let's build
what's next.
From universities and governments to community organisations and technology teams, we're open to partnerships that connect good evidence with meaningful change.
Start a conversation
Robert MK
CEO · RMKREF Design Labceo@rmkrefdesignlab.org+254 142 755 401
Visit usRhapta Road, Oleleshwa CrescentNairobi, KenyaPostal addressP.O. Box 960-00515Buruburu, Nairobi, Kenya