Humble Francis
Downtown Africa Mag – Kenya is one of Africa’s largest economy. Many innovations have been invented by Kenyans which some of them get global recognition. These innovations aim to solve everyday challenges facing Kenyans. Because of these innovations, Kenya is named Africa’s Silicon Valley.
These are the best 5 innovations invented by Kenyans that have addressed some of the everyday challenges:
- M-Pesa
M-Pesa is the innovation that allows users to send and receive money through SIM card. The solution was invented in Kenya and developed by Safaricom which has addressed everyday problem of sending and receiving money just within seconds. This innovation has brought revenue worth billions of shillings each year, which pass adding value to Kenya’s GDP.
- i-Cut App
In many Arabic and African nations, Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a common activity that leads to a global crisis. According to WHO, over 200 million girls and women in the world have had the FGM.
However, when girls have their genitals cut, it means that they have to drop out of school to become wives. This condition has inspired some teenagers from Kisumu High School to build an app called i-Cut.
i-Cut connects girls risking of FGM with rescue agents, offering support for the girls who have undergone the cut. The application also provides information about how FGM can negatively affect girls’ health.
- Smart Gloves
At the age of 25, Roy Allela invented Smart Gloves which called Sign-10. The pair of gloves has flex sensors that convert sign language movements into audio. The idea behind this innovation was because Roy wanted to communicate with his 6-year-old deaf niece.
The gloves are connected to a mobile app which he developed himself through Bluetooth then convert the sign language into audio speech.
- Lion Lights
Richard Turere was eleven years old when he invented Lion Lights. He invented it after watching his Maasai community fighting with lions to protect livestock. His invention helps to scare away lions using flashing lights that are set up around a perimeter facing outwards.
The idea behind the innovation came through breaking and fixing electronics, including his mother’s new radio. The young boy is recognized not only in Kenya but also on the global level. He has been featured in global platforms, including Ted Talk.
- Solar Tiles
Kenya experienced a 16-hour blackout back in the 1990s. This situation had motivated the siblings Charity Wanjiku and Tony Nyaga to invent solar tiles. Both of them who had a background as an architect and engineer then used their skills to create a solution to the frequent blackout in the country. They first pitched the innovative idea for their master’s degree and received recommendations.
Source: businesstoday.co.ke
