This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On May 7, 2020, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) unveiled a range of innovations to support the government's efforts in combating the Covid-19 pandemic.
The university's multi-disciplinary team of engineers, researchers, and innovators has developed two portable solar-powered ventilators that use a 12-volt battery, a contact tracing application, a digital system that predicts Covid-19 infection trends in Kenya, and an automatic solar-powered hand-washing machine.
According to Prof Victoria Ngumi, the Vice-Chancellor of JKUAT, the developments are a significant breakthrough in the country's anti-coronavirus war.
One of the innovators, Karanja Kabini, a mechatronics engineer, explained that the ventilators are reliable and can operate for two weeks without maintenance. The ventilators have a control panel that can vary the breathing rate, and the operator can increase or reduce the amount of oxygen.
Prof Ngumi stated that the university's engineering department has the capacity to produce ten ventilators weekly, which will help to address the existing shortage in the country.
The 'Contact Tracing and Case Management App' developed by JKUAT students Victor Muthembwa, Boniface Bundi, and Crispus Nyaberi will help identify individuals who have come into contact with a Covid-19 positive person.
Victor Muthembwa, one of the students, said that the app has been upgraded to include triage and case management functions, making it easier to manage records.
The contact tracing app is an important asset in the fight against Covid-19, as it is digital and specifically focuses on tracing contacts who use public transport.
The students have already partnered with Super metro buses, which ply the Nairobi-Thika route, and intend to roll out the app countrywide.
The automated solar-powered hand-washing machine is another innovation by Pan African University's Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology, and Innovation (PAUSTI), which is housed at JKUAT.
Prof Makoha, the director of PAUSTI, said that the machine is a prototype and plans to improve it to include a thermo gun to gauge body temperature before patenting the process.
