Speaking to kenyagist.com, Benard Karanja, who also doubles up as Kenyatta University Students Union President, disclosed that he was among a team of 15 students who were crowned winners at a ceremony held at the UN headquarters in Nairobi on Wednesday, October 28.
The team comprised students from the school of pharmacy and engineering all of whom were awarded for innovating ventilators to aid in the fight against Covid-19 virus in Kenya.
“Ours was a team of students from medical and engineering school. So, UN just called and said they wanted to come film a small documentary. They came and shot a video, and told us we had been nominated as UN persons of the year 2020.
“The ceremony was held at the UN headquarters here in Nairobi. They gave us certificates and a shield,” Karanja told this writer.
The team developed the ventilator under Tiba-Vent Ventilator firm.
The innovation developed in April attracted global attention prompting a visit from the Trade and Industrialization CS Betty Maina, the PS Industrialization and Kenyatta University Vice-Chancellor Paul Wainaina.
“The desire to come up with this machine came due to the shortage currently being experienced in the country.
“For the past seven days, we have been working here with a team of 16 students from the school of Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Pharmacy, Medicine, and Nursing to make these ventilators,” Karanja told the press at the time.
With the award, the students followed the footsteps of other renown public figures who have held the award before.
In 2019, Teacher Peter Tabichi was crowned person of the year for his selflessness in providing education to his students.
Marathoner Eliud Kipchoge won the award in 2018 for his positive role modelling to the youth to embrace the values of hard work, discipline, focus and dedication to achieve the greatness they are capable of.
Source: KENYAGIST.COM
