Corporate News
Dansel Omondi displays his model robotic security innovation in Nairobi on September 21, 2015. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU.
By STELLAR MURUMBA, smurumba@ke.nationmedia.com
Economists call them generation jobless — young with
no work, no savings and few prospects. These are the unemployed Kenyan
youths aged between 15 and 24 who now stand at almost 10 million.
While overall employment has been growing – albeit at slow pace – the gains have been taken up mainly by adults.
Joy Kiiru, an economist and lecturer at the
University of Nairobi’s School of Economics, says that youth
unemployment is a serious issue that needs to be addressed to manage
security and stability.
“It is a pity that energetic and learned youth are
with no work in a country where cases of insecurity are rampant. For
stability to prevail, incubation centres like iHub should be promoted
and fresh ideas marketed locally and in international markets,” says Ms
Kiiru.
She also faults the government on not doing enough.
“The government is working but is that enough? The
National Youth Service is a brilliant idea because it equips young
people with technical skills, but it can only take in enough and in a
period of time.
The National Youth Fund and subsidised funds are
some of the new government’s implementations, but how efficient are
they? Government loans are never repaid because the funds are our
money,” she says.
But as economists push the government to create
more jobs, some unemployed youth are not sitting and waiting to get help
finding something to do.
With availability of cheap, high-speed Internet,
thousands of youth are tapping into the opportunities ushered in by
technology.
Six years after Kenya hooked up to the undersea
fibre optic cable, the tech-savvy youth have turned Kenya into a leading
startup hotspot. Not all are into technology, though. Some have found
an entrepreneurial path in recycling waste and farming, among other
sectors.
Bitange Ndemo, former Information PS who teaches
entrepreneurship at the University of Nairobi, says startups are the
best bet to ease unemployment and provide local solutions to local
problems.
It is these booming startups and technology
innovations that put Kenya on the global map as it hosted the Pre-Global
Entrepreneurship Summit expo 2015, graced by President Barack Obama.
For the young Kenyans who exhibited at the expo, it was a dream come true as more opportunities open up.
Here are some of the participants:
Hansel Omondi, Smarthome Technologies
Did you know that a Kenyan can use robotics to address social issues like insecurity?
Meet Hansel Omondi, 28, who started working on his security
robot in 2012. In 2013, after the Westgate mall terror attack, he
decided to focus full time on the project.
Mr Omondi quit his job at an airline where he
worked as an aeronautical engineer to launch Smart Home Technologies.
The company specialises in designing and developing home automation
systems to boost security in homes and offices.
The gadgets are controlled remotely from any part of the world via Internet and GSM mobile networks in real-time.
“The security forces during the Westgate ordeal had
it rough in planning their offensive since they did not have inside
intelligence. This robot would have come in handy in surveying the
interior as they planned a counterattack. That is how I got inspired to
come up with system,” he says.
Mr Omondi says he had earlier invented a robot
spider that could obey commands as well as walk and sit. With the same
idea in mind, but this time leveraging on technology to curb insecurity,
he designed a robot that was 15 centimetres by 20 centimetres and
two-centimetres tall.
He fitted it with a revolving camera that could
stream live footage one kilometre away during remote surveillance. The
camera is also night-vision enabled.
The robot’s body components include a motor and
micro controllers, radio transmitter units, and a controller similar to a
PlayStation key pad. All these are framed in an aluminium chassis with a
Perspex glass display.
“The controller sends commands to the wireless
communication system to enable its movements. It also controls the
robotic arm and the panning motion of the camera. The arm can grasp
items and bring them closer for inspection. It has the ability to
detonate a bomb at a safe distance.
“The camera then receives reports from the robot,
for instance, battery levels, GPS components and compass direction. The
display then receives and transmits the videos received from the
camera,” he says.
In two months time, Mr Omondi says he plans to
approach local security firms to adopt his innovations. He has employed
four workers and plans to add one more person to assist with components
assembly.
With an investment of more than Sh500,000, he says he has done over 14 home automation installations.
“The mirror system security firms are currently
using is limited in terms of surveillance. The robot provides night
vision which the mirror cannot hence illuminating areas of inspection
under vehicles for proper security action,” he says.
Abigail Wambua, Creasa Enterprises
Abigail Sami Wambua, 22, brands and customises mugs and bottles.
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