KRIS is a system aimed at meeting the need for improved visibility of research done in Kenya. The system provides a platform that brings together researchers from institutions of higher learning and major research institutes in Kenya. This is achieved through an interactive web based portal, through which researchers will be able to create their profiles including areas of interest and contact details; populate and update information on research projects they are/have been involved in, and upload and/or create links to publications and relevant project outputs. The system incorporates multiple search criteria to enhance information retrieval. For example, one can search for research projects or researchers by institution, research area, or a combination of both, or by use of key words. The portal provides for a central messaging center, through which various news and notifications can be passed, and a discussion board through which researchers can engage in a conversation.

The system incorporates mechanisms to secure data that is considered sensitive. A researcher, on upload of research documents, can select whether to make them public or private. Public documents are accessible by anyone visiting the site. For private documents, a user will need to request for access from the owner of the files. The researcher (owner) receives notifications of the request, both on email and on his dashboard, and can either approve or deny the request. If approved, the file becomes downloadable by the requester.

Data visualization techniques have been incorporated to enable researchers get a view of the data in various forms, making it easy to make inferences that would be useful for various purposes. For example, one can view top research areas, institutions, researchers and funders, and publications by research areas over a certain period of time.