An Innovation by a student at the Faculty of Engineering has won an award at the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW). The Student is working on a project of a Biodegradable bio-degradable paper using leaves of the water hyacinth weed.
Principal Secretary State department of Youth Affairs Ismail Maalim(Left) awards the winning Innovation to Egerton University team led by Director Marketing and Resource Mobilization also Director Egerton Agro-Science Park Professor Paul Kimurto (4th Right).
Following a week-long at the KIW, showcasing of this innovation under the mentorship and guidance of Eng. Prof. Japheth Onyando, Professor of Soil and Water Engineering.
“It was exciting to have an environmental start-up being recognized for the award. It shows how we are putting sustainability at the forefront. And shows people are recognizing our efforts in this space,” Said Joseph Nguthiru, 24, from Tetu Village, Tetu District within Nyeri County.
It all started as a final-year project for the student but later morphed into a start-up. After winning the IGAD award, as the East Africa Youth for Climate Action Innovation winner, in Nairobi, in November, 2021.
The start-up dubbed HYAPAK is converting water hyacinth into a biodegradable alternative, to single-use bio-plastic products. The start-up is working closely with the University and possibly working with the state department of forestry towards the country’s efforts to increase tree cover.
They look forward to supporting the State Department of Forestry by sharing their skills in the efforts to plant 50 billion trees set to be launched on the 21st of December, 20thusn Ngong Forest.
In 2011, Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), he was the best student in Nyeri County from Mukarara Junior Academy. He later joined Alliance High School and passed highly to join Egerton University.
He hailed the success of the innovation to fellow Engineering students Mr Charles Kinyua, mr Pascal Nabiswa, Chair of Departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering Engineer Nancy Matheri, and USIU IT Student Prisca Akinyi. Engineer Nancy has been instrumental in the guidance through the project this far.
Nguthiru, Charles, and Pascal interned at L’oreal East Africa Limited, courtesy of winning the L’oreal brainstorm in 2020. He explains; part of the reward was being absorbed into the company. The firm that specializes in the production of body oil, perfume, and Lotion products was seeking to reduce the use of plastics in cosmetics packaging.
“We won the East Africa competition, had it not been for Covid-19, we were set to go to Europe for the global competitions,” opines Nguthiru.
East Africa Community awarded the innovation in the just concluded East Africa Innovation Forum as the winner. They were also third place globally during world Engineering day, in Sydney.
Also, the innovation on May 5, 2022, won the Total Energies Start-up of the year.
Three Weeks ago, the Institution of Engineers Kenya (IEK) recognized the innovation as the best among young Engineers. “This was humbling, engineers are tough people and thinking outside the box, we felt that we could put what we are taught at Egerton University into practice,” Said Nguthiru.
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