In the past four month, innovations have earned
youth thousands of shillings, in the race to stop the spread of Covid 19.
The innovations have put the forgotten
youth in the global map, after their products are identified to match those
imported from developed countries.
In Juja town in Kiambu, two youth landed on a Sh32.5
million tender from the government to supply 500 hospital beds.
This was after they demonstrated their
ability to make quality beds, a move
that attracted President Uhuru Kenyatta who got impressed by their work.
State operatives were ordered to look for the
artisan after his products that go for Sh35,000 went viral.
Other innovations done by university and
college students included application for contact tracing by Mt
Kenya University and one on social distance by Thika Technical Training
Institute.
In the innovation world, the youngest is Duncan
Njogu Waweru 14, who developed a hand washing device using old motor
vehicle parts he collected in Eldoret town.
Njogu, a standard eight pupil, had
assembled two bottles of water and fixed a 10 jerrican of
water, parallel with a container of soap.
His innovation three weeks ago attracted
several people, as he moved in the same league with university
students who explored devices using electricity and magnetism for hand washing.
“I have interest in automotive repairs, and
learnt that springs can work at intervals when some force is exerted, and I
developed an idea,” said Njogu.
In Murang’a county, James Nyakera a 24 year old
Mt Kenya University student in April developed a ‘computerized’ hand washing
device.
Nyakera innovation dispenses liquid soap
and water automatically at a programmed interval.
The device releases soap for three seconds
and automatically locks and opens the water pipe for 20 seconds.
“The device has a series of sensors that detects
human hand, and motion when it is placed below the outlet pipe” said Nyakera
adding that he has sold devices through social media platforms.
At Kenyatta University, 16 students
pursuing engineering courses assembled ventilators that will save the country
millions of shillings.
Trade Cabinet secretary Betty Maina has lauded
the local innovation skills demonstrated by the youth describing them as
milestone.
Maina said there are many products that can be
made locally and empower the youth.
“Am particular encouraged that face masks which
could have been imported from China, are locally manufactured by our the
youth,” said the CS.
engineering students came up with the first home grown protype ventilator
to help treat severely affected by Covid 19. Photo:James Nyakera of MT Kenya University with his hand wash invention
