Science and Technology in Kenya
not only lack infrastructure and funding but perhaps more critically they lack
the exposure that will lead to both of these.
Much media attention on examples of Kenyan or even African
technological accomplishment are sparingly reported and treated as
'feel-good-stories' while the horrors of poverty and rampant corruption
comprise the bulk of the content of both local and international media. We need
to do more to encourage the visibility of our scientists both young and old.
Just as this year an expensive campaign was created to
promote pride in the country, a passionate new campaign is urgently needed to
promote Kenyan achievements in science and technology. It's interesting that
our people will take pride in owning German cars, Japanese electronics, and
American machinery; describing in detail the high quality of these items. But
what do we have that is of quality? We are renowned worldwide for the flavor of
our tea, the prowess of our athletes and the beauty of our national parks. This
is all well and good, and as a Kenyan, I am proud of these national gems. Where
though are our technological advancements? Is it possible that they exist out
there, but that we do not know enough of them? The major newspapers, The East
African Standard and the Daily Nation newspapers make the occasional mention of
a Kenyan boy who built his own airplane, or a Kenyan scientist honored
internationally, or the Kenyan Nobel Prize winner; stories which we marvel at
and are even inspired by, but we seldom hear about Kenyan technological
innovation, or invention.
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closer inspection
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Every year, starting at district zonal level and continuing to a national
crescendo, Kenya's
secondary schools hold a competition known as the Science Congress. With
stringent demands for innovation and originality, students from across the
country present hundreds of ideas in a wide range of categories for assessment.
What happens to these ideas? Are they discarded as soon as the trophies have
been awarded? In the year 2000, Mangu
High School, hosted an aviation
symposium where high school students showcased their ideas for advancing
aviation technology. What happened next? Were these ideas built upon, was the
curiosity encouraged, was there any mentoring or guidance to hone the ideas and
bring them to a polish? Were there any subsequent symposiums? And what of the several
computer programmers across the country developing all sorts of interesting
software? How are the research projects at our universities improving our
lives? Improvements in seeds and crop varieties were recently in the news , but
what else are the boffins up to?
And what of ordinary Kenyans, pushed by necessity into
making inventions in their homes? Do these fail to make an impact for lack of
exposure to the market and the sort of funding that would perhaps lead to the
creation of small industries and jobs?
There are many more questions besides, especially with regard to the role of
the government and such organs as the Kenya Academy of Science. Are they doing
enough to encourage research into innovation, are we committing a sufficient
resource pool to funding such research projects as would improve our lives and
decrease our need to import?
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how things work
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There is so much more going on in Kenya,
than the political, social, business and cultural events that seem to retain
our media's whole attention. The media houses have whole sections of their
newspapers dedicated to culture, business and even politics but little room for
science and technology. Granted the
media will dedicate more space to what earns it more sales, but surely a weekly
television production highlighting Kenyan Science and Technology would not be
asking too much.
Kenyan inventors and innovators would be eager to be interviewed on their
inventions if the media houses would announce their interest. Clearly, the
media can see that a market exists for such shows, as we do have a few science
television that showcase the technologies of other countries, but it would be
good also to see programmes highlighting the examples of Kenyans working in
technology, explaining their challenges and how they go about overcoming these.
How is tea processed in our factories? How does Central Glass Industries produce
the glass soda bottle? How about the car manufacturing and assembly plant in
Thika? How is the mineral fluorspar mined and what is it used for? How are
Kenyans in these industries contributing to the technologies? And what is going
on across the border in Uganda
and Tanzania?
Invention requires necessity, and hopefully as it
becomes clear to Kenyans on television and in the newspapers, what challenges
are being faced in their country, what opportunities these challenges present;
then they will be drawn to think of solutions and to spend their enterprising energies
building business companies on these technologies that we develop. Maybe in the
near future, the Germans, Americans and Japanese will not only marvel at our
tea, our athletes and our national parks but also at Kenyan-made cars, electronics
and machinery.
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I had a teacher who was involved in some Chemistry work for Unilever, Detergents. It made Chemistry class very exciting and much more relevant.