Two students from the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Mechatronics Engineering and the School Electrical and Electronics Engineering represented the University in the just concluded Kenya Innovation Week 2023 that was officially opened by President William Ruto. Cecilia Otieno and Rhyl Kiio showcased ingenious innovations: Air Quality Monitoring System and a Mobile Money Payment System respectively that attracted a lot interest from government agencies, private companies and the general public.
Some of these agencies included Nairobi Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (NaMATA), Startup Africa, Britam, BetaLab, Institute of Energy Studies and Research, The Chandaria Business Innovation and Incubation Centre and Afribot. The institutions were keen on helping the students through partnerships to improve, incubate, invest and market their innovations.
The third annual event (Commonwealth Edition) was organised by the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) which took place at the Edge Convention Centre, College of Insurance, Nairobi.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Benedict Mutua, attended the opening ceremony. DVCs, Prof. Paul Wambua (Institutional Advancement and Enterprise) and Prof. Alfred Orina (Research and Technology Development), among other university staff attended the event.
Some of the Government institutions and other organisations that participated in the exhibition included the UK Government, Irish Embassy, One Million Lives Initiative, Young Scientists Kenya, Huawei and several public and private universities in Kenya.
While the student innovators were challenged on issues around intellectual property, prototype creation marketing and commercialisation, industry players were impressed by their innovations, networking skills and confidence which improved their employability.
Some of the dignitaries who visited TU-K stand included Mr. Ismail Maalim Madey, Principal Secretary - State Department of Youth Affairs and Mr. Geoffrey Monari, the CEO, Universities Fund.
About the innovations
Air Quality Monitoring System is a low cost equipment capable of producing real-time data collection and visualisation, geospatial mapping and historical data storage. The equipment is critical in helping environment regulatory authorities and organisations, health sector and general public in gauging the quality of air in real-time. Air pollution is usually caused by pollutants such as particulate matter (PM) and carbon dioxide (CO2). The project was developed by Cecilia Otieno and Felix Mazinza and supervised by Prof. Alex Muumbo.
Mobile Money Payment System (PAYMAT). This innovation seamlessly integrates Internet of Things (IoT) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technologies. The system simplifies transactions, reduces errors and enhances user experience while making mobile-based payments.
The system reduces the turning eight-step procedures such as in M-Pesa transactions into a swift single-step process. It utilises RFID payment card or a phone sticker; users can effortlessly complete transactions with a simple tap and PIN input on their phones. Rhyl Kiio developed the system under the supervision of Mr. Dickson Gichaga Wambaa.
