Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) Board Chairperson Prof Olive Mugenda has challenged higher learning institutions in the country to embark on solution-based innovations.
Speaking while officially opening a week-long innovation exhibition at KCA University on Monday, Prof Mugenda rooted for creation of synergies that will lead to ground-breaking solutions and address the most pressing social-economic challenges in the society.
She upheld the need for enhanced, strong collaborations between higher learning institutions and industries to promote students’ innovations and create jobs for the youth.
“Linkages between innovative students and industry players will not only enable them to advance their innovative ideas but will also give them much-needed industrial exposure,” she underscored.
Prof. Mugenda highlighted that for students, such innovations cannot be effective unless they are linked with the relevant industry players for them to be better shaped to fit the needs therein.
She at the same time called on the government to create enough funds to support the innovators with capital to scale up the inventions for enhanced results.
KCA University Vice Chancellor and CEO Isiah Wakindiki revealed that the varsity will soon be launching a Ksh. 10 million grant to support the take-offs and facilitate further inventions.
“We are protecting our innovative students by assisting them secure the intellectual property rights for their ideas,” Wakindiki said.
Safaricom Technology and Innovation’s expert Andrew Musila revealed that the giant communication company has been and will continue to support inventors in the country.
Musila noted that Safaricom which has sponsored the week-long event will continue to offer thought leadership and the required technology to the innovators to help them achieve their dreams with ease.
“We have supported various community initiatives before and are set to continue encouraging the innovators by offering them trans-formative technology to solve societal challenges in various facets,” he stated.
During the exhibitions, Anthony Chege Migwi, an Information, Security and Forensic student who has embarked on an innovative idea of reducing the cost of production for pigs and poultry farmers, showcased the use of black soldier flies as an alternative for proteins in animal feeds.
Chege told journalists that rearing the black soldier flies minimize the cost of production for farmers by 30 percent noting that the larvae stage of the flies can be used as a substitute for rare soya beans and fish meal.
“The larvae as feed supplements have the capacity to improve the income of smallholder farmers as their animals such as chicken are able to gain weight faster, translating to an increase in earnings by 20 percent,” he said.
By Kamau Njoroge
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