For Gerald Mutali, the sky is the limit. His inner resolve in life and his determination to succeed have seen him strive to excel despite the challenges life has thrown at him even as a student.
The skills acquired during his tertiary education have enabled him to make a breakthrough in innovation.
He has invented a radio frequency wave switch and a drying line that uses magnetic wavelength to push wet clothes to the sunlight and remove the dried ones from the sun.
The radio frequency switch lights a bulb when its emitter, triggered by a remote controller, releases high-magnitude radio frequency waves. The detector receives the waves and releases an electric current of 8 volts into the polarity charger. The current is directed into an Alternating Current (AC) motor which rotates clockwise swinging the connecting gong. The rotation leads to contact between the gong and the stopper thus completing the electric circuit. An anti-clockwise rotation breaks the circuit and opens the switch, turning the light bulb off.
He says his love for innovation and science pushes him to try out new ideas.
Mutali, who is currently working as a lab technician at Friends Mugai Secondary School in Kakamega North sub-county, had a humble upbringing by his late grandparents.
He sat for his KCPE exams in 2002 at Malava Primary School then joined Mugai Secondary School in 2003.
As a result of challenges in paying for school fees, he had to drop out of school. However, lady luck smiled on him two years later after Mageso Mathews, a teacher, enrolled him back in school in 2006. He sat his KCSE in 2007 but had to rewrite his exams the following year.
He managed a university entry grade but joined Kisumu National Polytechnic where he pursued a Diploma in analytical chemistry which he completed in 2016.
He later joined the Kenya School of TVET to study analytical chemistry. He completed his studies in April 2023 and was to proceed on teaching practice but deferred due to lack of fees. Since then, he has been working as a lab technician to offset his pending arrears.
He expressed hope at making a mark as one of the country’s top innovators.
Mutali pointed out that education is the best equalizer between the poor and the rich and called on the youth to invest in technical education.
He applauded the move by the government to invest in TVET centres as one way of equipping the youth with necessary skills that will make them self-reliant.
By Andanje Wakhungu
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