Innovations around elections and climate change emerged top at this year’s Young Scientists Kenya competition.
Two Form Four students from Chala Secondary School in Taita Taveta were the overall winners, with an innovation dubbed “Smart Fingerprint Ballot Box”.
The innovation was created by 20-year-old Brian Mwaghogho and 17-year-old Diana Wambugha.
Brian fell in love with technology early in his secondary school life and was involved in Science Congress, where students put into action the learning they gathered in class.
On the other hand, Diana developed an interest in Form Three when the school introduced a programme to spur development in the Internet of Things.
Since the duo started working together, they have developed five innovations: the Smart Cleaner, Smart Handwashing machine, Leakage detector, Camel Milk and Smart Fingerprint Ballot Box.
Their latest, the ballot box, is a colour-fitted machine designed to detect the colour of a ballot paper and direct it to the correct ballot box with an aim to enhance credibility during the election process.
“We call it a smart ballot box because it is smart. At first, we know the ones in the market are open and closed manually by use of a seal and a skeleton is an easy thing to replace,” said Diana.
With the emphasis on transparency in elections in Kenya, where polls are hotly contested, the two students sought to provide a solution.
“We decided to come up with a fingerprint one to reduce cases of fearing that a ballot box was opened in a given place. The biometric system uses fingerprints and only the presiding officer will be able to open the ballot box,” Diana explained.
Bravin Wetsenga Emala, 16, and Isaac Abuti, 17, of Musingu High School, Kakamega County, were ranked second with their innovation “Smart and Modernized Solar Greenhouse”.
As the country grapples with food insecurity, the duo believes that their innovation is the solution to the long-term problem that has continued to face the country.
Watch the video to learn more about these budding innovators and why the judges liked their creations.
