Our Founder | CEO
As a child, I had grand aspirations of becoming a pilot, a medical doctor, an engineer, or a high-level civil administrator. I even adopted the name Flight Captain Dr. Eng. Robespierre Makenzie, envisioning a life of adventure and exploration from a bird’s-eye view. However, as I matured, I realized that these dreams were not feasible, and instead, I pursued a career in education, political science, and sociology. Along the way, I completed an Executive MBA and an MPhil, and I had planned to pursue a Doctorate in Business Administration. Unfortunately, my supervisor and I could not agree on a research topic, and so my DBA aspirations came to an end.
My life before September 16th, 2014 was filled with struggles and disappointments. Despite desiring to start a family at a young age, each relationship ended in heartbreak. Additionally, I faced employment termination without due process and a lengthy twenty-year labor litigation process. These challenges directly impacted my health, leading to numerous admissions or counselling sessions due to emotional or minor health reasons. It was a frightening experience when I found myself alone in the hospital theatre, about to undergo minor surgery deep in my skull. It was on that night that I turned to God, seeking a second chance and committing the remaining days of my life to Him alone.
From that point on, my life was transformed. I saw a new perspective on the future, filled with hope and magnificent dreams. On the night of Feb 2015, I had vivid and unexplained visions featuring a small microscope. After consulting widely, I understood that God was calling me to do a project that would change the world. That project is Mattannah, which means “gift of Yahweh” or “station” in Hebrew. It has given me a sense of purpose and healed my emotional scars.
Today, I am Robert Peter Akeny, the founder and CEO of the CTA Biomedical Laboratory Centre of Excellence , a project by destiny that is described as Mattannah. The project aims to revolutionize industry-relevant university research in Africa through three pillars: a Data Science Centre, a Nanotech Centre, and a Biomedical Centre. We will implement the project through a partnership between the private sector, academia, industry, and government, with an investment of $1 billion. Our goal is to produce market-ready intellectual property and SMEs that will facilitate local production of vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics.
The Mattannah project will utilize a hybrid triple helix and open innovation model, representing an innovative and ambitious approach to drive growth in Africa by producing nano-enabled intellectual properties (IPs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) aligned with medicine and pharmacy. The project will establish the CTA Biomedical Laboratory Centre of Excellence, in collaboration with universities, industry players, and development partners from both the global north and Africa, and to support its programs. This demonstrates a strong commitment to advancing science-based research and development (R&D) in Africa and providing advanced education and training opportunities for researchers, engineers, and innovators.
I share my story to inspire others to overcome their challenges and make a difference in the world. I firmly believe that with God manifesting Himself in our hard work, dedication, and perseverance, anything is possible. Thank you for joining me on this journey to change the world. Together, we can make a difference.