This archive report was first published on 15 July 2020.
July 15, 2020
President Uhuru Kenyatta has given a boost to local innovation with a personal intervention that has seen the National Government order 500 hospital beds from two young entrepreneurs in Githunguri, Kiambu county.
Mungai Gathogo, 26, and Joseph Muhinja, 35, have been tasked with delivering the beds within a month and a half. The duo, who rely on locally assembled materials, will benefit from the government's commitment to support local innovations and products under the Buy-Kenya-Build-Kenya policy.
The President's Delivery Unit (PDU) Secretary, Andrew Wakahiu, confirmed the government's commitment to supporting local innovations and products. 'I have been sent by His Excellency the President to congratulate the young innovators and to confirm the government's commitment to support local innovations and products by providing a market for our own under the Buy-Kenya-Build-Kenya policy,' he said.
The locally manufactured bed features standard hospital design, including a reclining frame, height adjuster, and retractable serving extension. It also features a portable gas cylinder, a drip stand, and is easy to dismantle for ease of transportation.
The purchase of the beds will be a vital boost to public hospitals currently reeling under the strain of COVID-19 admissions. Many public hospitals have run out of beds after the pandemic patients took up majority of those available.
