| dc.description.abstract | The global development policies and strategies are continually aligning towards the Knowledge economy. The future success of nations and their competitiveness will thus be Pegged on their ability to embrace this transition from a capital intensive approach to the new dynamics of the knowledge driven economy. This transition from a capital intensive to an Integrated knowledge based economy has seen a metamorphosis in the social paradigms Consequently having major implications in the way knowledge is generated, distributed and utilized. In the light on these transformations, it is therefore imperative to investigate the strategies employed by the universities, being custodians of knowledge, as they position themselves to the dynamic nature of knowledge as well as addressing the new challenges and opportunities that such transformations present. The new focus on knowledge economy has challenged the traditional role of the universities which has for a long time focused mainly on teaching, learning and research. It calls for the university’s active role in the operationalization of its third mission to adopt a proactive engagement with the society to foster socio-economic development of the contexts within which these universities operate in. Business innovation and incubation has been receiving an increased focus from the universities in their knowledge transfer bid. Over the years global and entrepreneurial universities have engaged in the establishment of new businesses through university business incubation and innovation as a knowledge transfer strategy. In the Kenyan context, university business incubation and innovation has continued to gain prominence in the recent past. This comes in the backdrop of the various policy interventions by the Kenyan government aimed at cultivating an entrepreneurial climate in the country not only to accelerate economic development but also to alleviate the problem of youth unemployment caused by an overreliance on the unsustainable white collar jobs. This study investigates how Kenyatta University utilizes its business innovation and incubation center to establish new businesses as a knowledge transfer strategy. The study looks at how the political and socio-economic contexts in which KU operates in influence the way they engage in the knowledge transfer through business innovation and incubation. A qualitative study design was adopted to fulfil the mission of the study. Using a Convenience sampling method, respondents were selected from the incubator management, Mentors, and the incubatees to generate the information that formed the primary data for the Study. Triangulation was conducted through a corroboration of the study findings to document analysis in an effort to ensure the study validity and credibility. The study found out that Kenyatta University lived up to the expectations of knowledge transfer through the establishments of new businesses aided by their innovation and Incubation center. In advancing the requirements of this mandate, the University offers Mentorship programs, networking, and a provision of office spaces complete with internet Facilities; fully equipped for optimal operations. Apart from offering the institutional level Support to the incubation process, KU also links the incubatees to the external actors who Play a crucial role in the impartation of the necessary business skills and acumen. The key limitation of the study was inadequate time and resources to conduct an integrated study on the different approaches of knowledge transfer adopted by Kenyatta University thus Narrowing down to only one such approach of the establishment of new businesses as a Knowledge transfer strategy. Keywords: Knowledge economy, business incubation and innovation, knowledge transfer, Tacit knowledge, explicit knowledge. Master Thesis 2020 78 Pages (22,139 Words) Supervisor: Prof Peter Maassen | eng |