Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) was established as a legal entity through publication in Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 117, Legislative Supplement No. 55, under Legal Notice No. 130; and as Constituent College of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology on 8th July, 2022.  Kenya-AIST is an institution of strategic national importance; and is modelled after the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).  It is therefore expected to make a significant contribution to Kenya’s transformation into a prosperous and innovative country, with its graduates leading Kenya’s economic and technological growth.  Kenya-AIST is located in Konza Technopolis.  The Executive Order No. 1/2023 of January 2023 transferred the Institute from the State Department of University Education and Research, Ministry of Education, to the State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, in the Ministry of Information, Communication Technology and Digital Economy. 

Kenya-AIST is designed to be a specialized post-graduate degree-awarding institution with a focus on advanced research, training and education in science, technology and engineering.