Esther Kimani, a pioneering Kenyan engineer, has been awarded the prestigious Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation by the Royal Academy of Engineering. Her groundbreaking early crop pest and disease detection device unveiled at a live event in Nairobi, was celebrated for its potential to drastically reduce crop losses and boost yields for smallholder farmers.
Kimani’s device leverages computer vision algorithms and advanced machine learning to detect and identify agricultural pests and diseases within five seconds. The system sends real-time alerts and intervention suggestions to farmers via SMS, a crucial innovation for the approximately five million smallholder farmers in Kenya who lose about 33% of their crops to pests and diseases. By reducing these losses by up to 30% and increasing yields by as much as 40%, Kimani’s invention promises to transform agriculture in the region.
Affordable and solar-powered, the tool leases for just $3 per month. It also notifies government agricultural officers, supporting broader pest and disease management efforts.
The Africa Prize, established by the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2014, celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. It supports sustainable and scalable engineering solutions to local challenges in Africa. The Prize’s alumni community includes nearly 150 entrepreneurs from 23 countries, who have created more than 28,000 jobs and benefitted over 10 million people.
Commenting on her win, Esther Kimani highlighted the personal connection to her innovation: “My parents would lose up to 40% of their crops each farming season, which affected our standard of living. We are empowering smallholder farmers, many of whom are women, to increase their income. We aim to scale to one million farmers in the next five years.”
To mark the 10th anniversary, the Royal Academy of Engineering hosted the Africa Prize Alumni Reunion, gathering 100 innovators for a three-day program leading up to the final ceremony. Kimani received £50,000 to further develop her device, the largest amount awarded to a winner to date.
The runners-up, each awarded £15,000, included:
- Kevin Maina (Kenya): Eco Tiles, an environmentally friendly roofing material made from recycled plastic.
- Rory Assandey (Côte d'Ivoire): La Ruche Health, an AI chatbot tool providing vital health information and services.
- Martin Tumusiime (Uganda): Yo-Waste, a mobile app connecting users to rubbish collection services.
A special “One to Watch” award was given to Dr. Abubakari Zarouk Imoro for his innovation's impact on local communities. This award, voted for by live and online audiences, included a £5,000 prize.
The 2025 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation was also launched at the event, with entries open until October 15, 2024. The Academy invites individuals and small teams from sub-Saharan Africa to submit scalable engineering solutions designed to address local challenges. Interested applicants can apply HERE
Article by Nyokabi Wanjiku
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