Student Engineer August 2014

The Student Engineer 1
News
Attention! pg. 4
Technology
The heartbleed bug pg. 5
Security pg. 6
Goal line technology pg. 7
The art of communication pg. 10
Features
State of the nation pg. 20
Dubai's power pg. 28
The fuel cell technology pg. 31
Powering the future pg. 32
The Vactrian pg. 34
Utility mapping pg. 35
Towards sustainable energy pg. 38
What powers a modern aircraft carrier? pg. 41
Where the wind blows pg. 42
Design
German made pg. 16
ESA
AAK career day pg. 52
General Electric career fair pg. 53
Social
Commentary
Alcoholism and drug abuse pg. 44
It all counts! pg. 45
Kenyan universities pg. 46
The inanimate player pg. 47
06.
27.
45.
25.
The Student Engineer 3 2 The Student Engineer
Editor's Note
Copyright Student Engineer 2014 Reproduction of any article in part or full without permission fromThe Engineering Students Association is strictly prohibited.
The Student Engineer
@StudentEng
CHAIRLADY'S MESSAGE
T
hank you for taking time off to read through this
edition of The Student Engineer, the first issue for the
academic year 2014/2015. As we look ahead to the
year 2014/2015, we at ESA are determined to continue
to build on the dreams of this student body that is now 31 years
young.
With each passing day your favourite journal continues to renew
its sincere commitment to bring you refreshing stories in the
world of engineering and beyond.
I take opportunity to sincerely thank engineering students
for electing a new board in April 2014. We are entering this
academic year a more proficient and more efficient organization
determined to put engineering students in the lead. I therefore
urge you all to take advantage of the activities ESA has in store
for you to have a better connection to the industry, to broaden
your knowledge beyond academics so as to put yourselves on
the fast track to career success.
To our sponsors, Jyoti Structures, Kalpataru Power Transmissions
Ltd., Parsons Brinckerhoff Ltd, ACEK, KEVIAN Ltd.,I sincerely
thank you for believing in us and in supporting us over the years
by way of mentorship and financial support. I assure you that it
has not been in vain. Through the activities you have supported,
all round engineers have been churned out, engineers who have
a clear view of the industry. Without you ESA would not have
been the success that it was in the year2013/2014. Thank you
for making it happen!
I wish to thank our patron, Prof Odira, office of the College
Principal,office of the Dean School of Engineering and Dr. Mativo
(Ketraco) .Without your generous support we wouldn't be where
we are today.
We look forward to engaging with you at the varied number of
events planned for the year aimed at bridging the gap between
industry and academia. Enjoy your read!
A
ll indications suggest that the government is as concerned
as we are about the energy sector. In this issue, we
appreciate the gesture that our government is committed
to ensuring that the energy sector is ablaze once again.
We have engaged various stake holders in providing a view into the
sector to gain a greater understanding about the on going projects
and the alternatives we have as a country.
This is a period where everyone understands that any nation's energy
muscle is a show of its ability to sustain its economic manoeuvres. And
the better your economy, the higher your status and the status of the
Editor-in-Chief -Kennedy Kimani
Managing Editor - Lewis Sakwa W
Editors - Caleb Juma, Kevin Odongo, David Chege, Vallary Owino
Design & Layout - Daniel Wakaba Ndungu
P.O Box 30197 - 00100, Nairobi KENYA
Tel: +254 722 600 392
Kennedy Ki mani
people. And what is nobler than enriching humanity?
With the reinvestment in the Geothermal sector, the grandiose
plan of having more energy, as much as 5GW in our grid within
three years are splendid. With the optimism that this shall come
to pass we anticipate an invigorated economy and with engineers
smiling all the way to the bank. And not just that, we shall edge
closer to the achievement of the very elusive Kenyan Dream.
For those with interest in the energy sector, we cannot fail to
appreciate that Turkana is now our haven. Olkaria projects are
giving us headway and Kenya is on the move. We are a country
replete with ambition and this we exploit and try to carry an
incisive look into the energy situation in the country.
We have by all means carried out analysis of our sectors, their
viability and usage on sustainable levels. We suggest, as our work
is defined. We leave the judgement to the reader.
Much of these we leave to the government. History will be our
final judge. As to whether the government commits to fulfilling
the Kenyan Dream or stumbling upon the past shall be the
question to behold.
Finally I have to pass my sincere gratitude to The editorial board
for the work well done and having come this far. The ESA chair
and your executive board, thank you for your support too.
We are very grateful for our sponsors in this issue, The University
of Nairobi, The ICT authority Kenya, Power Technics and many
others we have not mentioned. Individuals and the larger student
body, we thank you for your overwhelming support.
Special thanks to the The Institution of Engineers of Kenya and
Kenya Engineers team for their unwavering support through our
toughest of time.
I wish you a nice read ahead.
///// NEWS
The heartbleed bug Attention!
Big brother is listening - The National Intelligent Service (NIS) feud
The most dangerous threat to Android yet
TECHNOLOGY \\\\\
by Mwaniki A. Ngari
A
nyone who keeps up with the
technology news will probably
have heard HeartBleed bug in
the popular Android version 4.1.1
,which came about after July 2012 after another
less serious bug in the Nexus tablets.
Discovered in April 7 2014 by a software
security firm in Finland, the Heartbleed bug
is as result of the error in version's code. All
the devices running on this Jellybean version
are vulnerable to a hack described as 'reverse
Heartbleed' - where a malicious server would
be able to exploit the flaw in OpenSSL to grab
data from the phone's browser, which could
include information about part sessions and
logins. Amazingly, Google has known about the
error for about a month but didn't speak about
it. However, a fix for the bug has already been
issued by the company though it depends on
the device manufactures and wireless carriers
on how this fix will reach the millions of the
affected users.Owing to the popularity of the
Open Source Operating System ,an estimated 50
million people worldwide using devices running
on thus version of Android are at risk, this is
excluding hundreds of millions of handsets in
China running Android without Google services,
which would not show up on Google systems.
Hackers can exploit this high profile bug and
obtain credit card information, browsing history
and login information of anyone using a device
running on this version of Android. Sensitive
transactions such as online banking on tabs or
tablets running on this version should highly be
avoided as per software security experts. The
Blackberry Messaging Service running on this
version of Android is also at the mercy of this
bug. Blackberry is lining up an update to fix the
bug though the company has not provided a
time frame.
The number of devices and website vulnerable
to this bug is expected to grow due to flawed
encryption software. Any internet connected
device including smart TVsare also vulnerable
to this bug.
The Heartbleed bug has already been exploited
by Cybercriminals to steal tax information of
thousands of Canadians from the Canadian Tax
Authority Computers.
The good news is to pull off a Heartbleed bug
attack involves a complex process and only
experienced hackers with sufficient resources
can pull it off. Furthermore, a hacker cannot
hack multiple devices at once.
A free app has been developed by Lookout,
an American software Security firm, to test
whether a device is vulnerable; the app is
available on the Google Play Store. Germany
is the most affected Country where 20% of the
devices in use there run on the vulnerable OS
version.
Luckily, only version 4.1.1 uses the vulnerable
version of OpenSSL. Examples of the famous
mobile devices that are vulnerable include
Samsung Galaxy S3,Samsung Galaxy Note
2,Motorola Photon Q, and Huawei Ascend Y300.
I
am a disappointed man. A disappointed
Kenyan in an acrimonious country. A
country which a decade ago had the
most hopeful people on the planet but as
we evaluate the decade gone, with mischief
and intolerance we have sunk into despair,
hopelessness and God knows if anarchy is the
next state.
Despi cable I would say, the plan to tap
into Kenyan private lives and dig up their
communi cat i on seems t o be t he next
gentlemanly move with the weird NIS and
Army bill being introduced into the Kenyan
Parliament. Me thinks this is not a security
measure as it is probably being said but a ploy
to legitimize intrusion into our normal life.
What the National Intelligence Service seeks
to do is rudimentary just like all its action
beforehand. Just that the National Security
Agency of The United States is rumoured to be
listening to the American Nation at large and
without notice does not mean that the Kenyan
partners can do the same. You would only take
a look at the inefficiency of curbing crime and
terrorism. It plays right into their priorities. They
are clueless and have no idea when Kenyan lives
are at stake.
While we may want to discredit the rumours
that this art of eavesdropping is targeting
the dissidents of politics or so to say, there is
much ground to believe so. Times gone have
shown without prejudice that our intelligence
masters have only but served the interest of The
master. And helped him maintain what he has;
and that is power. Therefore before I am given
valid reasons that the guys in The August House
have reason to pass this motion I shall not rest
on the fence or fear the blatant mark of a leftist.
I shall however state categorically that the bill
is a Scourge that must not be allowed to see
the doors of Parliament at this time when the
inefficiency of the Statutory body mandated
with securing Kenyan lives is busy sleeping on
the job. I shall not shy away to mention that NIS
has no clue on how to handle the intelligence
gathering process. And until such time as
when it shall be able to detach itself from the
influence of Government then shall its mandate
be effectively executed.
Secondly, the elites of this nation waste away
in menial jobs. Computer Scientist, Engineers,
efficient intellects of all sorts would not want
to work for NIS. Reason is there seems to be no
autonomy that is meant to be associated with
an Intelligence Organ.
I want to believe that even the infamous Special
Branch had more coordination than our current
liberal NIS. That is in terms of information
gathering. There many more men out there in
the Kenyan jungle willing to sacrifice for the
right cause of this nation. Not to spy against
innocent citizens of this great nation but to
help us deal with the problem of intelligence
gathering once and for all. But sacrifice, if there
must be, must have a worthy reason. For life
is sacred. NIS therefore needs to open its eyes
for a professional touch and re-brand itself, not
in name but in recruitment of the individuals
into the sector. If only they realised how much
Kenyans love their country, they would never
toy around as they do...
Unlike NSA, CIA, MOSSAD and many more
advanced organi sati on. . . even terrori st
organisations, there is a basically no difference
between working for NIS and the Kenya Police.
The Police shouldn't take offence because of
the notoriety that now enshrouds them after a
floundered recruiting process. If we can revamp
the Intelligence of this country by incorporating
the best we have; train them well and let them
know the cause they are committed to then we
shouldn't have a problem in tackling the security
issue. But when recruiting is basically an affair
of a few people, and the guys who qualify
hardly show any passion for the job other than
monetary expectations (which is right of course)
then we remain a hopeless nation in so much
as we want to tap all lines of communications.
Let us therefore embrace reality and actually let
time have its toll. We have to begin low but with
precision, both of action and mind. Otherwise
we shall be a country torn apart by the very
organs meant to protect the coat of arms we
swear to. I dare say, that was a Juvenile; a rather
infantile move for NIS to try to spy on me. God
Bless Kenya.
Security;
///// TECHNOLOGY
Goal line technology
Are you secure; do you feel secure?
The government was set to award
a multi-million dollar surveillance
system, theIntegrated Public Safety
Communication and Surveillance
Syst em' IPSCSS) t endert o t he
country's largest mobile network
company;
TECHNOLOGY \\\\\
by Kevin Omondi Gor
by Kevin Odongo
O
ne cannot hide from the daily
reports of insecurity that make
the headlines in our news, within
and without our borders. Nor can
one ignore the host of guards posted outside
buildings, who usher you with a casual flick
of a garret against your body, hoping that
you haven't concealed a weapon or explosive
on your person. Immediately after an attack,
security forces in our country are remarkably
vivid. Yet, social media, the dailies opinion
pages, radio talk shows, one or two public
rallies have Kenyans decrying what the security
situation in the country.
A trip to the JKIA will have you tugging at the
end of line of patience; the security detail
does its job- thoroughly but to the public's
inconvenience; need we have so many of them?
Which leads me to the question: "Can't we use
technology to stifle the scourge of insecurity?"
A guard with a garret doesn't inspire any
confidence in me, and neither should it in
you? A few attacks have exposed the gadgets
inefficiency; more importantly they do not
protect that particular Kenyan's life should
something explode. Given, the Inspector
General released a strategic plan that includes
deployment of more security officers, who
without faulting them are under motivated,
more often than not ill equipped and have been
known on occasion to protect their own lives
than those of the mwananchi.
Technology. We need to invest in modern
policing technology. The Governors of Mombasa
and Machakos have invested in a few items
off of the IG's strategic plan. They acquired a
fleet of high tech security vehicles, complete
with imaging and tracking capabilities; Closed
Circuit Television Cameras, 500 units have been
installed in Machokos; gun detectors and police
dogs for policemen. Indeed, there has been
criticism meted out against such investment,
but if reports suggesting that the mere presence
of a patrol corner round the corner reduce
crime rates by upto 15 % are anything to go
by, then more county governments should take
the members of their assemblies on trips to
Machakos instead of the US and Israel.
The government was set to award a multi-million
dollar surveillance system, theIntegrated Public
Safety Communication and Surveillance System'
IPSCSS)tenderto the country's largest mobile
network company; although suspended, the
system is expected to have about 2000 ultra-hd
CCTV cameras, in Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya's
two cities which are considered "A Terrorists
Playground", and have been the hardest hit and
most targeted by our enemies. 60 and 20 eLTE,
enterprise Long Term Evolution base stations in
Nairobi and Mombasa will be set up, which will
incredibly improve police communication on the
network that provides faster speeds than the
current 3G network peak as well as the ability to
seamlessly handle more data-hungry activities,
say live video streaming. Close to 200 police
stations will be connected to this network, and
finally 6000 high tech walkie-talkies will provide
relief from the 1940 Motorolla -based versions
that the police use today.
These just form the initial investment in modern
policing that we need to make, as a country to
eliminate our vulnerability that comes from the
weakness humans are prone to, as we combat
Insecurity in this country. a lot more needs to
be done to make us feel secure and be secure
in our country.
G
oal line technology, sometimes
referred to as Goal Decision System,
is a method used to determine
when the bal l has compl etel y
crossed the goal line with the assistance of
electronic devices, hence assisting match
of fi ci al s award a goal . The technol ogy
comes in various system forms such as:
Cairos GLT System
Developed by Cairos Technologies AG, a German
company alongside Adidas. It uses a magnetic
field to track a ball with a sensor suspended in
the ball. If the ball crosses the goal line, a radio
signal is sent to the referee's watch within a
second.Goal minder. The system was created
by two Bolton Wanderers fans, Harry Barnes
and Dave Parden after their favorite team was
relegated due to a wrongly disallowed goal. It
uses high speed cameras built into the goal
posts and crossbar to record images at 2000
frames per second and deliver visual evidence
to the referee in less than five seconds. The
system is thought to be cheaper because less
expensive cameras are required and the field
does not have to be dug into.
GoalRef
GoalRef was developed by German research
institute Fraunhoferin association with Select
Sport. It entails a passive electronic circuit
embedded in the ball and a low frequency
magnetic field around the goal. Any change in
the field on or behind the goal is detected by
coils embedded in the goal frame. As soon as
the ball crosses the goal line between the posts,
a change in magnetic field is detected. A goal
alert is then instantaneously sent to the game
officials.
Hawk-Eye
It was first developed in 1999 by Dr. Paul
Hawkins and engineers at Roke Manor Research
Limited-a subsidiary of Siemens. It is based on
the principle of triangulation where high frame
rate video cameras track the ball in flight. The
software calculates the ball's location in each
frame by identifying the pixels that correspond
to the ball and is able to predict and record
its flight path. The system is almost real time
and match officials are notified in less than one
second whenever the ball crosses the goal line.
The question of use of goal-line technology
began arising in the year 2000 when a referee
did not awardVictor NosaIkpeba's (Playing for
Nigeria) goal in the penalty shootouts during
the Africa cup of Nations final between Nigeria
and Cameroon. Television replays, however,
showed that indeed the ball had crossed the
goal line after bouncing off the crossbar.
Previously, in the FIFA world cup of 2010 and
others before it, whether the ball crossed the
line or not would entirely depend on the referee
and his assistants. Many such controversies over
goals have been reported. In 2008, FIFA out-
rightly rejected the technology having tested
a system by Adidas in which a football with an
embedded microchip would send a signal to the
referee when it crossed a sensor on the goal
line, with FIFA president, Sepp Blatter saying it
was only 95% accurate. The technology seemed
to be on its last death bed when International
Football Association Board (IFAB), which is
responsible for the laws governing soccer games
voted 6-2 against the use of the technology.
However, after several refereeing errors
at the 2010 FI FA worl d cup, especi al l y
Frank Lampard's disallowed goal against
the Germans, Blatter announced that they
would re-open the goal-line technology
discussion.
Finally after testing and deliberations, FIFA
in December 2012 announced they would
introduce the technology in the 2012 Club
world cup in Japan. It also featured in the
2013 Confederations Cup, a success that saw
FIFA decide on using it in the 2014 world cup.
Thanks to the goal line technology used in
the 2014 world cup tournament, the question
of controversial goal has been put to rest and
Benzema's goal became the first world cup goal
awarded with the help of the technology. The
goal line technology, dubbed the Goal Control
4D, was developed and installed by GoalControl,
a German company. The system used 14 high
speed cameras located around the pitch and
directed at both goals with seven pointing at
each of the goals. The cameras continuously
captured the position of the ball in 3D whenever
it neared either ends of the pitch. All the 12
stadiums in Brazil used in the tournament
were equipped with the system of cameras
which were responsible for tracking the ball
movements on the field and with high accuracy,
determined if the ball had crossed the goal line
or not. Every time the ball crossed the goal line,
the system detected this and sent encrypted
alert to the watch of the match official. It is
worthy to note that the final decision to award
a goal or not still fell on the official of the match.
The technology however, did not go through
without criticisms especially after it caused
confusion in the Honduras Vs France group
match in the 2014 tournament. The initial video
replay showed that the ball had not crossed the
line. The technology however, sent the referee
an alert that the ball had crossed the line. This
caused confusion with fans booing. There have
been criticisms especially with some saying
that the technology slows down the match
and it takes away the human element which
is more exciting when the official has to make
his decision without the aid of any devices.
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daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
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INCL. HIGH CLASS
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ADVERTORIAL \\\\\
The Art of Communication
///// TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY \\\\\
Health Perspective
Base stations
Y
ou look around you and wonder what the continuity of the
masts is for? What is the name given to all the infrastructure
that while we communicate efficiently, companies reap profit
from? Basically the series of masts intervalled at distance are called
base stations.
Mobile networks are made up of an interconnected series of antenna
sites called 'base stations.' Base stations use radio signals to enable
communication of mobile networks. They are made up of three main
elements which include
Antennae
Supporting structure
Power source
Base station transmitter power levels may vary considerably, depending
on the size of the region, or cell, that it is designed to service. The output
power of indoor base stations is even lower and similar to that of a
mobile phone. Base station antennas are typically about 15-30 cm in
width and up to a few metres in length, depending on the frequency of
operation. They are usually mounted on buildings or towers at a height
of 15 to 50 metres above the ground.
These antennas transmit Radio Frequency (RF) electromagnetic fields
(also called radio waves) in patterns that are typically very narrow in
the vertical direction (height) but quite broad in the horizontal direction
(width). Because of the narrow vertical spread of the beam, the RF field
intensity at the ground directly below the antenna is very low. The RF
field intensity on the ground increases slightly as one moves away
from the base station and then decreases at greater distances from
the antenna. For a few meters, directly in front of the centre of the
antenna, the RF fields may exceed the permitted exposure levels. In order
for the public to be prevented from entering areas where the permitted
exposure levels may be exceeded, the antennas are elevated, and when
necessary fences, locked doors, or other means of restricting access
(with appropriate signs if needed)may be implemented.
Directivity of base station antennas
So, where there is a greater concentration of the electromagnetic
radiations? On what side of the base station of the telecommunication
mast are you safe?
Base station antennas are designed to transmit the radio signals in a
reasonably flat beam to optimize coverage. Antennas have 'gain, that
is to say that the transmitted energy is directed towards area where
people use phones so as to maximize coverage with the lowest possible
output power.
At ground level the maximum measured exposure is generally a small
fraction of the exposure limit and will typically occur at distances between
50 and 300 m from the base station. The distance is dependent on
characteristics of the site such as the antenna, the height and surrounding
buildings and the surrounding terrain. In general, base station antennas
direct their power outwards, and do not transmit a significant amount
from their back surfaces or towards the top or bottom. This is particularly
relevant as there is a public perception that exposure is stronger directly
under antennas. Therefore, when antennas are mounted on buildings,
the exposures in rooms directly below the antennas are lower than
in the area in front of the antenna. Base station antennas generally
transmit outwards and not from their back, top or bottom surfaces so
exposures are lower in those directions. Mobile phones on the other
hand have antennas that are almost equally effective in all directions
to ensure reception, regardless of the phone's position. Whatever the
equipment, the strength of a radio wave (called power density) decreases
dramatically as it travels away fromthe antenna. In free space, the power
density decreases to one fourth when the distance is doubled. In reality,
the power density levels reduce much quicker than that due to obstacles
such as, trees, buildings, etc. Although it may be considered desirable
that base station equipment is placed in industrial areas or areas remote
from habitation there has to be a balance. Equipment placed too far
from the users not only gives poor communication quality but also cause
the phones to increase their output power to sustain the connection,
thus decreasing battery life and talk time.14 Also, each base station can
only support a limited number of simultaneous calls. As the number of
subscribers grows more base stations are needed and these need to be
close to where people want to use their phones.
Site design considerations
During the last decade the design of mobile communications equipment
has developed significantly, with a general trend to smaller, more
efficient equipment offering equal or greater functionality. Creative
antenna and mast design is capable of significantly reducing the visual
profile of mobile communications infrastructure. This has proven to be
a popular approach especially where the base station will be located in
an aesthetically or environmentally sensitive area. It is not suitable in all
locations because there may be some reduction in technical performance
when using smaller antennas. In addition, some community groups
have criticized mobile network operators for 'hiding'antennas.This is
not always possible for base station antennas as radio engineers can
achieve optimum performance when antennas are mounted on high
structures (or the top of buildings) away from physical obstruction such
as other buildings and trees.
Mobile phones
When a mobile phone is switched on, it listens for specific control signals
from nearby base stations. When it has found the most suitable (usually
the nearest) base station in the network to which it subscribes, it initiates
a connection. The phone will then remain dormant, just occasionally
updating with the network with information such as location, until the
user wishes to make a call or is called. Mobile phones use Adaptive
Power Control as a means of reducing the transmitted power to the
minimum possible whilst maintaining good call quality. This reduces
interference between mobile phone calls and also prolongs battery life
and, hence, extends talk time. The output power of mobile phones is very
low. During a call, and depending on whether it is a 3G or 2G handset,
the output power can vary between a minimum level of less than 1 W
up to a peak level of 2 W. The maximum average power of a handset is
however less than 0.25 W.
The area served by a base station is termed a 'cell'. When the caller
moves from one cell to another, the system hands over the call from one
base station to another seamlessly, so the caller is unaware of the change
of base station and the associated output power fluctuations caused by
moving either closer to or further from a base station.
Base Station antennae types
There are many types of antennae used at base stations but we shall
highlight only six.
Sector antennae: Restricts most of its radiated electromagnetic
energy to a narrow angular sector in the forward direction.
Antenna output power is typically 10 - 80 watts, and the
compliance boundary for the public may then extend 1 - 8 meters
from the front face of the antenna.
Micro cell antennae: Typically a small sector antenna with
output power of a few watts for providing coverage over short
distances (typically 300-1000 meters). It is often mounted on an
existing building, where it can be disguised as building features.
The compliance boundary has the same shape as for a sector
antenna
Antenna farms (or clusters) Antennas are often grouped
together on masts. The combination illustrated here is that of
an omni-directional antenna mounted above a cluster of three
sector antennas. The compliance distance may be larger than
for the individual antennas.
Radio relay antenna (or fixed point-to-point link) it
concentrates its RF energy into a narrow beam in the forward
direction. Power levels are typically low, less than 1 watt, and
safety distances a couple of centimeters.The parabolic dish
antenna is one example
Omni-directional antenna: This type of antennae radiates
electromagnetic energy equally in all horizontal directions.
Output power is typically 10 - 80 watts, and the typical
compliance boundary for the public is 0.5 - 2 meters from the
antenna.
Indoor antenna: Also sometimes termed Pico cells and provide
localized coverage inside buildings where coverage is poor
or where there are a high number of users such as airport
terminals, train stations or shopping centres. The power level
is similar to that of a mobile phone. The compliance boundary
by Lewis Sakwa
A television transimission mast
///// TECHNOLOGY
Thin sim Technology at
the Centre of Safaricom-
Finserve wars
Why Python?
is located within a few centimeters
of the antenna.
Regulation
In the end of it all there must be a
regulatory body charged with responsibility
to ensure that the radiations from the base
stations are not harmful and that they
do not interfere with the health of the
residents of the environs.
Another concern is bourne by the service
provider. The Cells of communications
need to be close enough to enhance
reliability. While the building of many of
base stations closer to aid in the speed of
communication is a recommended choice
for the telecommunication companies, the
balance must be struck.
The si ze and shape of each cel l i s
determined by the topology of the area
of coverage and other environmental
factors that could block signals. Cells are
largest in flat open landscapes, where they
can cover a radius of several kilometres.
Cells in urban areas typically cover up
to a two kilometre radius. The smallest
cells, covering a few tens or hundreds of
metres, are in built up areas, where micro-
cell base stations are used to provide extra
coverage and capacity. They serve to boost
the network coverage.
Each base station can only handle a limited
number of connections at a time. In areas
of high demand, additional antennas are
sometimes added to a base station to
send and receive more calls and other
mobile services, or an extra base station
is installed.
All this means a large number of base
stati ons are needed to al l ow more
people to use more mobile services, from
more locations, and for coverage to be
continuous when they move around. Most
people welcome improved coverage and
services. But we recognize that expanding
our network can cause concern, usually
about the visual impact of base stations or
health issues concerning radio frequency
(RF) fields.
continued from pg. 11....
E
qui t y Bank, through i ts whol l y
owned mobi l e vi r t ual net work
ope r a t or ( MVNO) s ubs i di a r y,
Finserve Africa, is planning to roll
out thin sim overlay technology which would
compete with safaricom's money transfer
and telecommunication services. These plans
however, did not go well with Safaricom who
wrote to Communications Authority of Kenya
saying the thin SIM would pose great risks to
the privacy of mobile subscribers and interfere
with normal operations of the primary SIM
cards onto which they will be planted. Safaricom
had also asked the communications regulatory
body to ban Finserve from using the thin SIM
technology. Finserve refuted the claims by
writing to the regulator saying Safaricom's
allegations were "little more than attempts to
quash competition".
A thin SIM is an ultra-slim layer of plastic with
a circuit printed on it. A user can stick it on
to an existing SIM Card to continue accessing
the original network, but with the added
functionality of the secondary provider. It
ideally converts single SIM device into a dual-
SIM device. Touch points built into the overlay
filters information between the two. The
hardware enables a means to store and carry
programs logic independent of the primary
SIM, hence enabling other providers to provide
services through the overlay SIM network
without interfering with the operations of the
primary SIM.
Once the thin SIM is stuck onto a primary SIM
card, users can access services on both the thin
SIM network and the network of the original
SIM card onto which it is laid. The company
providing the thin sim technology is Taisys
Technology Ltd Company of Taiwan which also
holds the patent for the technology.
SIM overlay technology was initially developed
by Chinese Mobile Network Operators as a
mobile phone solution to support multi operator
access, designed to avoid roaming fees- a
concept that Roamly, a Canadian company has
successfully applied globally to solve roaming
problems that arose when a user travelled
across countries. A situation that always forced
them to buy local sim cards of the countries
they were visiting or incur higher charges in
transferring to the mobile operator network of
the country they are visiting. This technology
has made it unnecessary to carry two phones
while on a foreign trip.
Use of the thin SIM technology for financial
solutions was pioneered by the Shanghai
based tech company F-Road. The successful
application of the technology in China with an
estimated population of about 1.5 billion people
is a clear indication that the technology can
be used to make banking and other financial
services available to a large number of people
with maximum returns.
Kenya has an estimated mobile subscriber
base of about 30.5 million people accounting
for about 93% of the total population. Another
73% are estimated to be users of mobile money.
Furthermore, 23% are said to use mobile money
at least once a day. The number of mobile
subscribers continue rising and so is the number
of mobile money users as people seek more
available banking services without having to
visit the banks. Cash payments are rapidly
being replaced by mobile-phone payments in
virtually all sectors of the economy.
Now I think the introduction of the thin
SIM technology by Finserve is promising
ver y i nt erest i ng t i mes ahead f or t he
telecommunication and banking industries.
It has the potential of doing better than
Safaricom's MPESA if well implemented. It
promises better services at better costs. These
wars are going to be beneficial to the customers
in the end. Safaricom will have to improve or
see its customers prefer Finserve's product.
Meanwhile, it seems Safaricom is also not left
behind in trying to bridge gap between banking
services and clients:
Biashar@Smart: Safaricom-KCB deal to target
Small firms
Safaricom and Kenya Commercial Bank signed
a deal that will see line between banking and
telecommunication continue to blur. Under
the agreement, safaricom and KCB will jointly
roll out different products with financial and
telecommunications features.
First off was the launch of Biashar@Smart,
a product targeti ng smal l and medi um
Enterprises (SMEs), and that has different
financial and telecommunication aspects. The
product will give businesses access to credit,
insurance services, business advisories, online
data storage, domain hosting and professional
email services.
by Kevin Odongo
TECHNOLOGY \\\\\
W
hile majority of us think of a large
tropical snake, Google and other
dozen blue chip companies are
making billions using this new technology. Still,
others are shunning from it citing its simplicity
and beginner oriented. Python programming
language has recently gained popularity
among developers, hackers, academia and
other communities world wide. In this article
we the ins and outs python and what makes
such a darling.
Guido van Rossum, the creator of the Python
language, named the language after the BBC
show "Monty Python's Flying Circus ". Python
is an easy to learn, powerful programming
language. It has efficient high-level data
structures and a simple but effective approach
to object-oriented programming. Its elegant
syntax and dynamic typing, together with its
interpreted nature, make it an ideal language
for scripting and rapid application development
in many areas on many platforms.
Its simple
As al ready menti oned, the si mpl e and
minimalistic language is its greatest strength.
Reading a python program feels like reading
English. In short, it allows you to concentrate on
the problem solving rather than the language
itself.
Its free
Moreover, python is an open source software.
It means you can freely distribute copies of this
software, read its source code, make changes
to it and use it in new programs. This makes
python even better since its based on concept
of community which shares knowledge. This
community constantly improves the language
and provide valuable documentation.
Its Portable
Owing to its open-source nature, Python has
been ported to all major platforms by many
developers all over the world. All your Python
programs can work on any of these platforms
without requiring any changes at all if you are
careful enough to avoid any system-dependent
features. Thats write once and deploy to all
platforms: Windows xp, 7 and 8, Linux, Apple's
Mac OS.
Its interpreted
While programs written in compiled languages
l i ke C/C++ need to be conver ted from
source code to binary and linked to execute,
interpreted languages on the other hand need
only to be run from their source code. Python
being interpreted is thus much easier since
the user not need worry about compiling and
linking. This process is handled internally. This
make python ideal for prototyping and rapid
application development.
Its object oriented
In object-oriented languages, the program is
built around objects which combine data and
functionality. Python has a very powerful but
simplistic way of doing OOP, especially when
///// TECHNOLOGY INFORGRAPH \\\\\
Library (ies) Notes
Pandas Statistics and data analysis
Numpy
Scipy Includes modules for graphics and plotting, optimization, integration,
special functions, signal and image processing, genetic algorithms,
ODE solvers, and others. (Scipy + Numpy are talternate to Matlab)
Django/Flask/Bottle Web development frameworks
GIS Web services Packages to access to Google Maps, Yahoo! Maps and more information
. (geopy & googlemaps)
compared to big languages like C++ or Java.
Combining the advantages of OOP and its
simplicity, gives the language a big plus.
Extensible
If you need a critical piece of code to run very
fast or want to have some piece of algorithm
not to be open, you can code that part of your
program in C or C++ and then use them from
your Python program.
Embeddable
You can embed Python within your C/C++
programs to give 'scripting' capabilities for
your program's users. Blender and AutoCAD are
example program's using python for scripting.
Extensive Libraries
The Pyt hon St andard Li brar y i s huge
indeed. It can help you do various things
involving numerous functionalities as regular
expressions, documentation generation, unit
testing, threading, databases, web browsers,
Source: https://pypi.python.org/pypi
Guido van Rossum, the creator of
the Python language, named the
language after the BBC show "Monty
Python's Flying Circus ". Python is an
easy to learn, powerful programming
language.
CGI, FTP, email, XML, XML-RPC, HTML, WAV files,
cryptography, GUI (graphical user
interfaces) and much more. All this are always
available wherever Python is installed! This is
called the 'Batteries Included' philosophy of
Python.
At its website (www.python.org) , success
stories section: 'Python is part of the winning
formula for productivity, software quality,
and maintainability at many companies and
institutions around the world. '
You can read the enlisted 41 real-life Python
success stories, classified by application domain.
Among the top companies using python:
Google, Mozilla, CERN( Large Hadron Collider ),
Nasa, Objexx Engineering, ForecastWatch, Esri,
bitly among among hundreds others.
'Python is fast enough for our site and allows
us to produce maintainable features in record
times, with a minimum of developers' Cuong
Do - Software Architect, YouTube.com
Python has been an important part of Google
since the begin-ning and remains so as the
system grows and evolves. Today dozens of
Google engineers use Python, and we're looking
for more people with skills in this language -
Peter Norvig - Director of Research at Google
Inc
Python is indeed an exciting and powerful
language. It has the right combination of
performance and features that make writing
programs in Python both fun and easy. What
more? Its my hope that I've convinced you
somehow and that you're yearning to learn
some python. Of course go learn: who knows
what next big thing you could bring fourth...
///// DESIGN DESIGN \\\\\
ome to the legendary Adolf Hitler the Nazi leader. This is the image that comes
to anyone's head at the mention of the word Germany. Ironically Germany is
home to the world's most precise engineering in the automobile industry. It
has been traced that the perfection has been drawn from, the ages of Adolf
and world war. Now let's see how necessity is the mother of invention.
Let's take a review on some of the leading brands in the world
Volkswagen
Commonly known as the VW in most parts of the world, but in Kenya it is known
as the Passat (of which Passat is a brand of the Volkswagen. This is so because
it is the dominant brand of the Volkswagen group in the region and also it has
been known as a favorite choice government officials for its high performance
power and fuel efficiency. It has three cars in the top 10 list of best-selling
cars of all time compiled by the website 24/7 Wall St: the Volkswagen Golf,
the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Volkswagen Passat.
One of the very interesting brand of the Volkswagen Company known as the
Volkswagen beetle. It "froglike/bug like" appearance makes it one of the most
interesting cars admire. The car basically originates from the earlier mentioned
Adolf Hitler. Hitler wanted a cheap, simple car to be mass-produced for the
new road network of his country. He contracted Porsche in 1934 to design and
build it to his exacting standards. Ferdinand Porsche and his team took until
1938 to finalize the design. This is one of the first rear-engine cars. With over
21 million manufactured (21,529,464) in an air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-wheel
drive configuration, the Beetle is the longest-running and most-manufactured
car of a single design platform, worldwide. The rules were very simple he
assembled all engineers available in Germany at that time and then he would
ask them, "how many think it is not possible to build a car that is air-cooled,
rear-engine and with rear-wheel drive configuration?" whoever raised his/
her hand was just a bullet in his/her head. And that was the birth of the
Volkswagen Beatle. German historians estimated that 80% of Volkswagen's
wartime workforce was slave labor.
18 The Student Engineer
Energy
State of the Nation
Dubais power
The fuel cell technology
Powering the future
Towards sustainable energy
///// DESIGN
Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMW)
Bayerische Motoren Werke English: (Bavarian Motor Works), commonly
known as BMW or simply Beemer and even some call it the ultimate
driving machine. Founded in 1916. One of the most iconic brands in
the world, known for sheer driving pleasure high power and efficient
driving dynamics. Is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also
owns and produces Mini cars, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad, which
holds several world racing titles.
BMW is part of the "German Big 3" luxury automakers, along with Audi
and Mercedes-Benz, which are the three best-selling luxury automakers
in the world. One of the most known brand is the BMW m3 which has
dominated in most rally championships and received as the car with the
best handling according to top gear. Another upcoming BMW product in
Kenyan streets is the BMW X6 the show stopper, statistics have shown
that 7 out of 10 people must comment whenever the Machine passes by.
Some of the tech advancements brought by the BMW are the
antilock brakes, X drive, I drive, electronic stability control and many
more.
Audi
Audi is a German automobile manufacturer that designs, engineers,
manufactures and distributes automobiles. Audi oversees worldwide
operations from its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audi-
branded vehicles are produced in nine production facilities worldwide.
Audi has been a majority owned (99.55%) subsidiary of Volkswagen
Group since 1966, following a phased purchase of AUDI.
The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies
that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union.
Audi's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik, meaning "Advancement
through Technology".Recently in the United States, Audi has updated
the slogan to "Truth in Engineering. Commonly known in the transporter
movie is the Audi A8, A7 in the movie Iron man and Q7 which is the
dominant SUV brand in Kenyan streets.
Ford Germany
Ford-Werke is a German car manufacturer headquartered in Niehl,
Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia and a subsidiary of Ford of Europe,
which in turn is a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company. Not well known
but when one meets a ford ranger where the roads end, the mouth
goes agape.
Mercedes-Benz
It is also a German automobile manufacturer, a multinational division
of the German manufacturer Daimler AG. The Mercedes is the most
luxurious official car in Kenya, preferred by most top-ranking officials in
the country. You will find it as the most dominant brand in the presidents
escort team. Mercedes-AMG, McLaren Mercedes, Maybach are some
of the super cars in the world sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3
seconds. The E class and S class are filled with technology beyond their
scope, an S class for instance can detect a bump ahead and adjust its
suspension to compensate for the rough ride, and in fact you can drive
through a rough road as if you were swimming in butter.
Adam Opel (Opel) i s a German automobi l e manufacturer
headquartered in Russelsheim, Hesse, Germany and a subsidiary of the
American General Motors Company. The company designs, engineers,
manufactures and distributes Opel-branded passenger vehicles, light
commercial vehicles and vehicle parts.

A sports car that could be simply defined as a son to the famous
Volkswagen beetle. In August 2009, Porsche SE and Volkswagen
AG reached an agreement that the two companies would merge in
2011, to form an "Integrated Automotive Group". The management of
Volkswagen AG, which had resisted relinquishing the power to control,
agreed to be owned (50.7% of Volkswagen AG ordinary shares with
voting rights) by Porsche SE in return for VW acquiring control of
Porsche AG.

Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH is an automobile manufacturing
company based in Buchloe, in the Ostallgau district of Bavaria, Germany
selling their own cars, based on BMW cars. Alpina works closely with
BMW and their processes are integrated into BMW's production lines,
thus Alpina is recognized by TUV as an automobile manufacturer, in
contrast to other performance specialists which are aftermarket tuners.
For instance, the Alpina B7 is produced at the same assembly line in
Dingolfing, Germany, along with BMW's own 7-Series.
And now this will be home to the world's most
popular trophy, the FIFA world cup. This was
after beating Argentina 1-0 in Brazil July 2014.
Well done #teamgermany
///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\
State of the nation
Where do we stand in the energy sector?
by Lewis Sakwa
T
he nation is on the move; industries must arise and economy
must be built and rebuilt despite the political turmoil and
exasperation observed here and there... because we know
this too shall pass. For it is like chasing the wind. Unlike
this matter which is most discussed in all avenues probably
because it affects only today which is everyday, we have to subscribe
to simple principle of Conservation of energy- Energy, just like matter
can neither be created nor destroyed. So what must man do? Man must
find a way, a method to harness, and conserve for posterity the energy
he has. While doing so he must ensure that the conversion of energy
from one form to another is such that there is a utility it shall achieve
in changing the life of a people.
With this, he must strive to understand that, energy being inherently
multiform must be used with care to ensure that the environment from
which it is being harnessed or converted to yet another form is not
endangered. That the ecosystemic balance is maintained at all costs.
In modern day governments are tasked with this role. To ensure that
there is safe and sufficient provision of energy to its populace. That in
the end the Energy harnessed during their eras see the nation through a
monumental shift to enable people drive their lives to yet another level.
We take an incisive look into the Kenyan energy sector. Instead of who
owns Kenya, we might ask who powers Kenya?
The Kenyan energy sector rotates about the following players: There
are those who are charged with the mandate to of policy formulation
and planning and funding who include The Ministry of finance, Ministry
of Energy and the Development partners. The other players include the
Geothermal Exploration and production mainly under the Geothermal
Development Corporation (GDC), there are also those involved in the
electricity generation which mainly done by Ken Gen and Independent
Power Producers (IPPs). There is the Transmission and Distribution
companies; a role that is played by Kenya Transmission Company and
Kenya Power Company as of now. The industry is headed by the Energy
Regulatory Commission which has been mandated to license sector
entities, regulate tariffs, ensure service quality and coordinate the
planning process.
How energised is the country is a question that beckons... The country
has a Hydro Electric capability of about 745MW, an approximated
300MW of Geothermal Production and 398MW of thermal power
production, 5MW of Wind energy 31MW of co-generated energy as well
as 16MW of off the grid energy supply. It is estimated that this country
has a 6000MW potential for hydro electric generation
Major sources of commercial energy in Kenya are petroleum,
geothermal and hydro energy. 75 % of population use traditional solid
fuels such as fuel-wood and charcoal in residential sector for heating,
light and cooking. The residential sector contributed 81 % of energy
consumption in 2009. Further development of the use of biomass and
extension of national electricity grid would reduce this consumption
greatly. Electricity demand in the country is significantly rising mainly
due to the accelerated productive investment and increasing population.
Electricity capacity
It is however true to state that Kenya has weak and restricted transmission
and distribution network. Kenya's electricity mix is dominated by
hydro generation (over 50%) and thus highly vulnerable to weather
conditions and climate change. The climatic conditions of 1998-2000
and 2008-2009 curtailed hydro power generation and led to severe
energy shortages which culminated into power rationing. Currently the
electricity demand is 1,191 MW against an effective installed capacity
of 1,429 MW under normal hydrology. The peak load is projected to
grow to about 2,500MW by 2015 and 15,000 MW by 2030 which means
huge changes in energy sector. Government has formulated strategies
whose objectives are to rapidly expand installed electricity capacity,
expand and upgrade the transmission and distribution networks, and
develop renewable energy sources: geothermal, solar, wind, biomass
and small hydro power
General situation in Energy sector
Heavy reliance on hydro electricity has costed us much including the
infamous power rations. These require a solution. Hydro electricity
despite its heavy investment is too dependent on the climatic patterns
and if there be a shift in climatic conditions then the country shall suffer
a massive setback in its desire to develop and achieve the blue prints
of 2030. It is the desire of the government to be able to produce more
than 5000MW by 2030. it is also the current government's encapsulation
that it should be able to scale to those heights in the next three years
plans we are so proud of. Given the fact file stating that only 15% of the
rural population has access to power as of 2011, it would be appreciated
that the government has got market for the power. However, if this is
to succeed then it follows that there is need to ensure that the rates
of transmission and distribution are let to be lower to enhance the
capability of the common man accessing the power.
A geothermal power plant
2009 1990
Total energy consumption 217.6TWh 127.2 TWh
Energy consumption per capita 5.5MWh/capita 3.2MWh/capita
Electricity consumption 5.81TWh 2.75TWh
Electricity consumption per capita 147kWh/capita
Access to electricity 16%
Access to electricity urban population 51%
Access to electricity rural population 4%
Energy imports (% of energy use) 17% 18%
Electricity imports (% of electricity use) 0.16%
Power production capacity 1621 MW 723 MW
Hydro power production capacity 747 MW 498 MW
Electricity production 6.88TWh 3.23TWh
Hydro electricity production 2.85TWh 2.54TWh
Share of population using solid fuels 75%
Fossil fuels % of total energy 17.5% 16.8%
Sustainability
It is therefore out of question that this country can rely on hydro
electricity given the foiling of our weather patterns. The players in the
sector, researchers and all stakeholders must give a thought to other
sources of energy. Nuclear energy would be a clear way to go. If this
country is to achieve the belated MDGs and eventually culminate to
vision 2030 we need to embrace a rapid initiative that would propel us
to the heights of industrialisation. To be able to carry out this we need
an overhaul of the system of generation of power. We need to defy all
odds against the anti nuclear messengers who of course have nuclear
power and probably control like 70% of the nuclear resources.
Nuclear investment is a magnanimous venture. It requires not only the
financial muscle but also preparedness that is missing in this country.
There is need to develop efficient disaster management capacity to be
able to handle any unforeseen calamities that may come with such a
hefty investment. This we can not run away from it; that this country
has a pathetic system of handling disasters even those of miniature
levels. And if this is not improved, then our quest to join the "League
of Nations" can not be authenticated. That shall be for safety and
as a precautionary measure. South Africa long joined these nations.
It is up to the incoming performers to ensure this happens even to
our beloved Kenya. The advantage being, the energy is renewable and
its continuity provides for the maintenance and recovery of the initial
capital investment. There is need for The Kenya Nuclear electricity
Board to carry out awareness and demystify the misconceptions held
by many of us, scholars included.
Nuclear energy is clean energy. It has lesser implication on the ozone
and there are hardly emissions that go with it. With the advancement
in technology, there is more improved measures to ensure that there
is no repeat of the incidents of nuclear related accidents.
While that is said, there is need to understand that Nuclear Energy is not
completely 100% emission free. It should be recognised also that the
plants cannot run without government subsidies and also while carrying
out the investment, development partners would not easily come into
play because of the risk that is involved. This may serve as a deterrent
to the sector development. However with the right mechanism in place,
the sector can run the national grid non-stop
As earlier indicated, the sustainability of nuclear energy is relatively in
higher standings as compared to the other sources of clean energies.
This is because of constant technological advancements that are making
sure that the whole process is better and safer. If this is adopted then
any country can safely adopt this form of energy for posterity. However,
there is a greater medical risk whenever we have a nuclear reactor
explosion or destruction. People have to be evacuated and the land
becomes a wasteland contagious in nature and therefore inhabitable.
Geothermal Exploitation and Sustenance
According to the 2013 Geothermal Power: International Market Overview
Report, Geothermal exploration began in Kenya in 1957 and is presently
generating approximately 212 MW, compared to a potential estimated
at 7,000 MW to 10,000 MW. As forecasted in Vision 2030, Kenya
aspires to generate a total of 15,000 MW, 5,000 MW of which will come
from geothermal. In pursuant of this goal, Geothermal Development
Corporation (GDC), plans to drill 1,400 steam wells to provide steam
for the generation of 5,000 MW of geothermal power by 2030. This will
require a reported $18 billion in capital investments in the geothermal
sector in the coming years.

Consumption of electricity in Kenya is extremely low at 121 kilowatt
hours (KWh) per capita. Only about 29% of Kenyans are connected
to electricity while the connection rate in the rural areas is estimated
at 15%. Fortunately, this situation is rapidly changing as the country
invests more resources in power generation, transmission, and
distribution. Kenya is quickly developing its geothermal resources with
22 developing projects, three of which are under construction and
expected to be operational in late 2014. This country is one of the fastest
growing geothermal markets in the world. The government is moving
a substantial amount of resources into building up its geothermal
infrastructure. GDC is developing the steam resource at three primary
resource areas (Menengai, Bogoria-Silali and Suswa). Through GDC, the
Kenya government is planning on contracting with Independent Power
Producers (IPP's) to sell geothermal steam/brine at the plant fence for
use by the IPP's to convert the resource to energy through a power
conversion contract.
GDC is also evaluating potential joint development agreements with
private developers to assist in the development of the new steam fields.
In addition, the Kenya government is encouraging private development
of additional resource areas through concession agreements with
private IPP's. Koeberg Nuclear plant - South Africa
A section of Olkaria III geothermal power plant in Kenya
Right now 296 MW of the over ~1,000 MW of geothermal under
development in Kenya are physically under construction. If all projects
are completed on time we will lead the world with substantial additions
to the existing geothermal infrastructure over the next decade and
become a centre of geothermal technology on the African continent.
It would therefore seem that the way forward is Geothermal which is
renewable and available in the country given our geographical location.
With a capacity of close to 300MW against the probable capacity of
7000MW we have an approximate 96% of our resources unexploited
which should serve to set task upon mind to be able to exploit these
resources. It would therefore be right to say that the sustainability of
Geothermal Power in Kenya has a better outlook than the other sources
of energy especially the Hydro electricity. The government therefore
ought to develop the capacity of manpower specialised more in the
Geothermal exploration and do more on ensuring that this sector of
energy, is fully harnessed for the provision of clean energy.
Geothermal Power: State of The world
Only 0.1-0.3 % of world energy demand is met by geothermal, despite
a theoretical 1 TW power potential and 30-60 TW in direct use . The
industry is slowed down by green field risks, large
upfront capital investment, and power generation costs exceeding
other locally available options .The human resource pool, number of
development companies and investors willing to enter the industry are
also limiting factors . Rising prices of fossil fuel is changing the scene
. Current growth rate is few hundred MW per year while the potential
is in the GW range
Region Installed capacity Potential
Africa 0.2 143
Nort America 4.1 218
Latin America 0.5 132
Europe 1.6 51
Middle East 0.0 32
Pacific 1.2 62
Developing Asia 3.2 195
Transition Economics 0.1 166
It is conclusive that Africa as a continent has unlimited capacity in terms
of geothermal energy potential which has not been invested in.
there are however a number of reasons that may be attributed to the
slow investment in this sector which require immediate tackling. Some
of them include but are not limited to:
Large Upfront cost of geothermal exploration and development
High Risks Associated with Resource Exploration and Power
development
Inadequate skilled manpower and equipment for geothermal
Resource Exploration and development
Limited national budgetary allocation and donor funding
Inadequate Private Sector Participation in the region
Lack of Supportive government policy and Regulatory
framework
There is therefore a need for capacity building to improve the rate
at which we are harnessing this form of energy. The GDC must
come up with ways through which they can mitigate to provide more
opportunities to train and if possible include in the tertiary, more
specifically, Engineering curriculum Geothermal technologies to be
able to confront the cases of manpower shortage
Solar Energy Development
While there is a general acceptance that solar energy harnessing can
be one of the most consistent sources of energy for this country, there
is a general lax in the way the energy stakeholders are taking up this
challenge. Kenya has more than half of the 580367 sq. Kilometres of
land as an ASAL areas. Solar farms would go a long way to providing
for almost all the homestead energy requirements. There are few solar
farms in this country one of them being The SOS farm in Mombasa
which has close to 132 PV solar cells. If there is the use of the mono-
crystalline technology, then there would be an assured continuity of
power generation in these sites. Development partners involved in
such projects would want to often be aware that they can be able to
be enjoined in the national grid so as the venture is beneficial. Africa
is endowed with the sun as a resource for development of energy.
However, it can be introspected that lack of funds in these projects
that require heavy initial capital set up has been the hindrance towards
ensuring that this clean energy is tapped.
Plans are however under-way to ensure that the solar capacity of this
country are bolstered. Kenya has identified nine sites to build solar
power plants that could provide more than half the countries electricity
by 2016. Construction of the plant is set to cost an approximate of $1.2bn
and is on going as of 2014. There are plans by the Rural electrification
authority to put up a solar plant of about 50MW in Nanyuki Kenya. This
shall go along way in relieving the national grid of the demand placed
upon it by other consumers.
While this is being done, Strathmore University has gone solar a trend
that now places them on another level of quick and efficient imagination
unlike its competitors whoa re still stuck to the old easy and accepted
methods of energy harnessing. This has been an initiative of Prof. Da
Silva, the Director of Energy research Centre at Strathmore University.
According to the researcher, Kenya only accounts for 2% of the solar
installation yet it sits on the Equator with the sun all through. 98% of
the installations are in countries that are out of the equatorial belt.
There is a challenge when it comes to solar in that there is lack of
awareness and there is no specific solar industry in this country.
Nevertheless, Strathmore University has installed a total of 2400 PV
solar cells and a total of 30 inverters, a venture which is costly but
commendable in all respects. This is set to provide a total of 600KW of
power enough to power the whole institution. The project was funded
under the Green Fund by the Cooperative Bank of Kenya.
It can be seen that our energy options are wide and many. Many of
them are unexploited and yet to be put to full utility for the advantage
of the citizens. However as engineers and innovators, there is need to
inquire of ourselves if the trend that has been set is the one we seek to
maintain or if there is a way, revolutionary yet accepted through which
we are going to facilitate the industrial growth by harnessing the energy.
Are we bound to work in all day long in the office with the acceptance
of the inefficiency that is seen in the energy systems or are we going
to change the trend. While we accept the truth that as individuals we
do not have the financial muscle to make corporations that shall solely
run the Kenyan energy sector, we must prepare ourselves to do the
practical jobs, of checking
New Strathmore university green building
Vents at a geothermal power plant
ADVERTORIAL \\\\\
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ICTA President Magazine 2013.12.05.pdf 1 12/5/2013 5:56:59 PM
T
he I CT Aut hori t y i n par t nershi p
with Huawei Technologies Ltd are
offering internship opportunities to
engineering students starting August 2014.
The programnamed "Telecom Seeds for The
Future" will run for a period of three years. The
partnership aims to increase employability of
university engineering students by extending
training and internship opportunities to them
and subsequent consideration for employment.

Below are some basic facts about the
Program:
To apply go to www.icta.go.ke
What is the name of the program?
The program is known as the Huawei "Telecom
Seeds for the Future" and will run for a period of
three years (August 2014- August 2017).
What is the program about?
The Huawei Telecom Seeds for the Future
program is an internship and training program
targeted at 3rd, 4thand 5th year University
students pursuing undergraduate degrees
in Engineering. Students must be Kenyan
Nationals.
What is the aim of the program?
P r o v i d e s t u d e n t s w i t h a n
opportunity to learn about the latest
Telecommunications technologies
Develop local ICT talent
Applyknowledge gained in class to a
field setting.
Promote a greater understanding of
and interest in the telecommunications
sector
Build a regional understanding of
ICTand a network of digital professionals
Which courses should thestudents be
undertaking?
Electrical Engineering
Computer Science
Telecommunications
Or any other engi neeri ng course i n the
telecommunications field.
Which University and what year should the
student be in?
The student applying must be from any
accredited and Chartered university and in 3rd,
4th or 5thyear of their engineering course.
How long will the program take?
This internship will be for a period two months.
The program will be ongoing for the next three
years and is expected to benefit atleast 100
studentswithin the three years.
What is the duration of the training and
internship?
Two months (8 weeks)
When is the program expected to
commence?
The call for applications will be in August 2014.
Interns will be expected to start working at
Huawei at the start of September 2014. Full
details of application are available on www.
icta.go.ke
Are there additional benefits for the
students?
The initiative will see top ten internsoffered a
chance to further their skills in China, through
a cultural exchange program. Details will be
shared at the time of joining.
Do I expect a job after completion?
We do not guarantee jobs but we will do our
best to assist interns by linking them up with
ICT companies and other potential employers.
Huawei will also give priority to the best students
and consider them for employment depending
on available opportunities at thecompany upon
the student's completion of the internship.
This will be based on Huawei's business
and project needs upon completion of the
internship/training and other Terms and
conditions.
How can I apply?
Visit www.icta.go.ke for the application form.
The application process has 4 Parts;
Part 1: Consists of Non-Technical Questions on
an online application form, published on the
ICTAuthority website - ALL applicants must
complete all questions in Part1.
Attachments: You will need to attach
the following documents to your online
application:
i) Copy of your student ID
ii) Copy of your latest transcript certified
by your university
iii) Copy of National ID
Note: Only Shortlisted candidates will be
contacted to move on to the next stages
Part 2: Consists of Simple Multiple Choice
Questions
Part 3: Consists of Detailed Knowledge based
questions
Part 4: Face-to-Face interview
What do I get after completion?
After successfully completing the program,
students will begiven a certificate. Successful
students will also get professional mentorship
opportunities by Engineers at the Institute of
Engineers of Kenya (IEK) with the possibility of
becoming a registered engineer by IEK
Who are the sponsors of the program?
It is an initiative by Huawei Technologies Kenya
Co. Ltd in partnership with ICT Authority.
Where will be the internship be based?
Interns will be based at Huawei Technologies
Ltd Nairobi office.
Contact Details:
If you need more information write to:
skills@ict.go.ke or
kenyaintern@huawei.com
Huawei internship and training program
for engineering students
Dubais power
by David Chege
"
It will be built with the state of the art technology to reduce
energy consumption and carbon footprint, ensuring high
levels of environmental sustainability and operational
efficiency," says Byat, Chief Executive Officer of Dubai holding.
This comes shortly after the vice president and prime minister
of the UAE and ruler of Dubai after His Highness sheikh Rashid Al
Maktoum, launched the world's first temperature controlled city, mall
of the World. It will be the largest occupying 48million sq. ft. it will
compose of the largest indoor theme park in the world, which will be
covered by a glass dome that will be open during winter months.
Quite a number of major Malls in Kenya could easily be parked inside
the currently world's largest shopping mall still in Dubai, a 20 billion
dollar project with more than 1200 shops inside. It is the world largest in
retail history. However it is not the largest in gross leasable space, and
is surpassed in that category by a few malls like the, south China mall,
goldenresource mall, and SM mall of Asia. Sprawling over 12 million
sq.ft. slightly more than 50 soccer pitches.
The sega republic
Here you enter a nation addicted to adrenaline. This is the regions first SEGA indoor theme park a mind altering,
visually stimulating, adrenaline-pumping attraction. Here rebel against the senses on go into system overdrive.
Some of the coolest features of the Dubai mall are
Dubai Aquarium
This is the key center piece the largest tank of its kind inside a mall. The
aquarium stands at 51m x 20m x 11m and features the world's largest
viewing panel at 32.8m wide and 8.3m high. Over time the , the Dubai
Aquarium will have more than 33,000 living animals, representing more
than 85 species including over 400 sharks and rays combined. Dubai
aquarium's 270 degree glass walkthrough tunnel makes it possible for
incredible close counter experiences.
Kidzania
This is a city specifically made for kids to run and enjoy themselves. Here
the kids can do all sorts of things that adults do in meticulous detail.
They can fly aeroplanes, drive cars even buses, work as cashiers, work
in the restaurants and many more. This is where children live their
dreams before they even dream.
The fuel cell technology
by David Chege
Reel cinemas
Imagine a whopping 22 screen all under one roof, a redefined
cinematic experience with sensory overload.
Ice Rink
In Kenya you will only find one at Panari but not as large as the one in
Dubai mall. It's the magical winter wonderland Ice Rink now imagine
one so big just next to one of the world largest sandy deserts, where
mercury easily pass the 40 degree mark on the thermometer, and its
temperature must remain slightly below 0 degrees Celsius. Whether
you want to learn ice skating, perfect your technique, play ice hockey,
socialize with friends or just have a great time its open any time of
the year.
Now let's leave the world offantasy for a while and ask ourselves just one
simple question.Where does Dubai get power to feed this mall which is
just but a very small fraction of what it actually generates? Let's solve
it by elimination.
Bear in mind that hydro-electricity power can simply not exist in a desert.
Dubai has no rivers of its own not even an oasis. However it does have a
natural inlet, the Dubai creek which has no possibility of HEP production.
Solar panels simplycannotbe reliable in places such as the 24hr mall
especially at night and in winter with the massive consumption of
megawatts. Being also in the desert the sand storms may cover the
panels and the small size of Dubai which can't handle the large surface
area required by enough panels to feed the whole city.
Another source of power is tidal energy. This is where tides are allowed
to rise water gets trapped and then released as it turns the turbines to
produce electrical energy.
This however is limited by small size of the Dubai coast and the quest for
land reclamation for construction. Intact the world's most luxurious hotel
rests on land reclaimed from the sea at the coast of Dubai, the burj Al
Arab. Another activity that could rule out the use of tidal energy would
be the placing of the world in Dubai. These are islands being constructed
at the coast of Dubai with the shape of the world.
Wind energy could be a major consideration but on the other side of
the coin Dubai's winds are seasonal and at times very destructive. This
makes wind energy highly unreliable for high and consistent megawatts
of electricity.
We are almost out of ideas for the source of power for such a great
consumer city. The secret behind the source of energy is natural gas as
the main source of fuel for power generation. But still a problem lies
behind the story. Natural gas is non-renewable. Can it really last forever?
Can it cope with the ever growing demand for electricity? Definitely
no and it will therefore have come up with a plan to protect the future
generations.
Researchers and engineers in Dubai are currently studying plans on
how to start power generation from clean coal by 2020 and nuclear
energy by 2030. Those will make up about 30% of on Dubai's electricity
generation capacity, while also seeking to cut 30 % from overall demand
by implementing efficiency measures.
This gives a promising future for
Kenyas petroleum industry, which is
heavily pregnant currently.
I
t's amazing how time is zooming against
technology, but now technology is already
past time and its waiting for the slow
moving time to hit 2015 for it to show what
it does have for the world. This comes after the
leading car manufacturer Toyota announces
the fuel cell technology, though the world is
not ready for it so it has to wait until 2015 for
the grand unveiling.
Basically a fuel cell is a battery that produces
electricity from an electrochemical reaction. In
both a fuel cell and a battery chemical energy
is converted to electrical with heat energy as
a byproduct. However a battery holds a closed
store of energy within it and once it is depleted
it is either recharged using an external supply of
electricity to drive the electrochemical reaction
in the reverse direction or discarded.
According to this new era of the fuel cell that
is about to shift how thing work, an external
supply of chemical energy rather than electrical
and can run indefinitely with a source of
hydrogen and oxygen (air).
The source of hydrogen is generally referred
to as the fuel and this gives the fuel cell
its name although there is no combustion
involved. Oxidation of the hydrogen takes place
electrochemically in a very efficient way. During
oxidation, hydrogen atoms react with oxygen
atoms to form water. In the process electrons
are released and flow through an external
circuit as an electric current.
It's amazing that fuel cells can vary from tiny
devices producing only a few watts of electricity,
right up to large power plants producing
megawatts.
The design of the fuel cell is two electrodes
separated by a solid of liquid electrolyte that
carries charged particles between them. A
catalyst normally platinum is often used to
speed up the reactions at the electrodes.
Fuel cell types are generally classified according
to the nature of the electrolyte used.
Fuel efficiency standards and carbon emissions
limits set by governments around the world
have forced automobile companies to invest
in new technologies which is really expensive.
To lower the cost of research and development
automobile companies are creating a number of
shared development plans. Ford and Toyota for
example have a partnership to develop hybrid
power trains.
Especially in North America, natural gas can
be, the demand for fuel cells is pretty high
and favored by the low cost of natural gas.
Natural gas can be reformed into hydrogen
which can be dispensed at hydrogen stations
in about the same time as gasoline. Nuvera a
company preparing for the future in the United
States is setting up fuel ports for fork lifts in
anticipation of the larger passenger car market
in incubation.
The lack of hydrogen fuelling infrastructure
means that fuel cell vehicles will likely be
targeted at a few niche markets, such as
fleet vehicle operators or environmentally
minded consumers in cities equipped with a
few hydrogen fueling stations. Although car
manufacturers are showing a lot of interest
in ecofriendly sources of fuel and more so the
fuel ell. The costs are higher than conventional
vehicles. If global collaborators can reduce the
cost subsidiary the appeal for fuel cells could
grow.
Regardless of how fast each approach is
adopted, it looks like the auto industry route
to electrification will ride on battery-electric,
fuel-cell and hybrid vehicles. We are expected
to see the launch of the first fuel-cell powered
vehicle later this year and land in the market
in 2015 which will happen to be Toyota Japan
having the honors. Hyundai promises to follow
the same route and have their first fuel cell in
2017, Ford, Renault-Nissan and Daimler will also
join hands and develop technology to make
"affordable mass- market" fuel cell vehicles
by 2017. GM and Honda will be pushing on a
partnership that will work on production of fuel-
cell powered vehicles.
Since 2009 the cost of the fuel cell vehicles
have fallen. The prototypes that Toyota and GM
built in a few years ago cost well about ksh 100
million each about the cost of most high end
super cars. Now Toyota says its goal is to sell
its fuel-cell sedan for less than ksh 1 million.
The costs fell as Toyota found ways to reduce
the number of parts in its fuel cell system and
decrease the amount of costly platinum needed.
The company says it is pushing hard on R&D for
manufacturing technology, among other things
to lower the cost ahead of the launch.
Chevrolet volt fuel cell concept
32 The Student Engineer The Student Engineer 33
Powering the future
Economic priorities and its implications
by Lewis Sakwa
I
t has been a tough climbing for sub Saharan
countries struggling to break free from the
savagery of war that has torn the region
and made it inhabitable. But we however
must agree that Kenya's consistency in the
recent past is indication to better days.
Energy drives the economy. Energy powers our
daily lives. In the earlier days of the American
industrial fathers, the likes of Cornelia Van Der
Bilt powered the country on steam from coal.
The industry was pushed further with Edison's
discovery who with the help of J P Morgan
developed the idea of powering industries on
electricity. This brought in Tesla who in the end
strove not just to transmit and power, but to
transmit the electricity in a better way such
that it would not only be safer but also cost
effective in its production and transmission.
We are still at issue with the very essentials
Tesla looked into. We seek to produce power
safely; for posterity of human kind, in which the
focus would be coined Green Energy, a debate
for another day. The very issue that led to JP
Morgan abandoning Edison is of importance to
both micro and macroeconomics of any state,
Kenya included. It is the economic viability of
the engagement.
The same debates of powering industry are still
with us here as we struggle to move Kenya to
a middle class economy. Projections indicate
that Kenya might be the fastest growing nation
as relates to the movement to the middle class
economy. However, to spur this we need to
power our way to a different industrial level all
together. In which case the government is fully
aware of. And its ambitions are large enough.
The government of Kenya has put in place an
ambitious plan to revolutionize the energy
sector. There are plans to have an injection
of 5 Giga watts of power into the national grid
in the next three years. As of now our power
generation ability stands at 2 Giga Watts on
the higher side of approximations. The target
is not an extra 3 Giga Watts. It is an ambition
that seeks to put up power plants which in that
case should swell our production to about 8
Giga watts. Very ambitious plans that will of
course not just see us rise to a different level
of industrial achievement but also spur an
exponential economic growth. This is the dream
of every Kenyan.
However, the modalities of power plant
construction are best left to those who have
been in the industry and probably handled
projects in that sector to be able to foretell the
success of the project. An additional five Giga
watts production will cost the government 330
billion Kenyan shillings. That is probably one
quarter of our current budgetary needs. This
will in turn require that we have donors willing
to invest in this project.
An insight into this was given by Eng. Julius
Riungu, the Chief Executive Officer of Tsavo
Power Company Limited. In his languid office
from where everybody in the city is below you,
we had a chat with him. Eng. Riungu appreciates
the ambition but he has probably a reserved
doubt about the validity of the project. In the
course of the chat we sought to know why he
felt the plan might not be wholly achieved.
According to this long time Kenya Power
executive, we would require donors who would
in turn seek to see the ability of loan repayment
by the government. On this he argues that while
we may be convinced that we could have the
ability to consume the produced power, he hints
at a situation where the market would not be
able to consume all the power produced. This is
because, despite the industrial capacitation that
we are witnessing in this country, the growth
of the industries within the next three years to
consume an extra five Giga watts of power is
fully doubted. Also, the prospect of building a
five Giga watt plant in the same period of time
is not feasible. He postulates that the project
could be spread in given timelines and phases
that would lead to project evaluation and
market ability analysis.
Further the cost of electricity in this country is a
little more expensive than in the other countries,
Ethiopia for example. There is a worry on his
face with this project since Ethiopia has unitary
system of power generation and distribution
which has consolidated the sector and in which
case has made the cost of power lower. Further,
the construction of a mega dam on River Omo
would and as expected has aggravated the
situation. On an introspective level, investors
and industrial moguls would look for a country
where the cost of production is cheaper.
This would mean that the cost of the energy
powering the industries be cheap as well. While
in Ethiopia power production and distribution
from the dam is almost begun, Kenya has not
begun the construction and neither is there
a ground breaking focus to cope with this
competition. It remains unlikely too that it is
very necessary for the project to be given the
go on. This does not mean that it should not
go on. While it should go on, evaluation of an
alternative way of power sourcing ought to be
in place to ensure that our upcoming projects
would be well catered for.
When queried about why Ethiopia was more
likely to replace this nation as an economic hub,
Eng. Riungu was particular about the cost of
living and labour in our neighbors in the North.
While a CEO in Kenya bags about 0.7million
Kenyan shillings, the Ethiopian counterpart
probably takes home an equivalent of Kshs.
70,000/= . he further says that in a production
system where both production of power and its
distribution under the same body, there is heavy
government subsidy which brings the cost of
production down. The two factors are key to
the conquest of our dear country by Ethiopia.
However, it is good to note that the country
in the North is still dependent on us. This is
where innovation, good will and intuition ought
to come in. Ethiopia for long has not had the
capacity to produce its own goods. It relies on
imports from overseas which are not in any way
brought in through a port. With the relations
between Ethiopia and Eritrea severed we stand
to benefit from it. Not long ago, the Government
of Kenya set up an ambitious project called the
LAPSSET. This seeks to build a new and larger
port at Lamu to serve not only Kenya but also
increase the handling ability of cargo with the
expectation that upon completion we shall have
enough clients to use it. It would be recognized
that many of our neighbors are landlocked
among them being Rwanda, DRC, Uganda, South
Sudan and now Ethiopia. Under the LAPSSET
project there are :
Lamu Port and Mandi Bay
Standard Gauge Railway from Lamu to
Juba
Oil Pipeline to South Sudan, Kenya and
Ethiopia
Oil Refinery
Airports at Lamu, Isiolo and Lokichogio
As it can be seen here, these are ambitious
projects which when finished, will not only set
us on the path of prosperity but will assert us as
the economic power house in the region. The
Government therefore has to take another look
at its priorities and in this case throw pundits
aside and begin the construction of the SGR.
Alongside these, we must as a country seek to
build manufacturing and industrial towns and
empower them to be able to produce more
products especially finished end products for
the consumption in Ethiopia. We have to move
from exporting the raw agricultural products
to other countries and set focus on processing
them in the near future. This may be achievable
if we still give another look at the blue prints of
vision 2030 where we have new cities coming up
for specifics like manufacturing- Tatu City and
for technological empowerment- Konza City. If
we refocus and put our energy in achieving this
we may rediscover that it would be possible to
convince or even lure investors in any sector,
especially energy to come in and help us power
our future.
Before this goes down, we lack the authenticity
in our claim that the market in this country
can consume five Giga watts of power without
having a problem. Definitely, we need a re-
ignition in the industrial sector to give credibility
to our desire to power them. We need to fulfill
the market need; we need the demand first and
then we can get as easily as possible the supply.
However, it would be necessary to forecast
and in reasonable phases implement the 5GW
project in an amicable way such that the built
Railway can be powered, The communication
systems, 1600KM of NOFB is functional and
that we can power our oil refinery in Turkana
and help South Sudan export its oil through
our pipeline. All these can be achieved but
under a moderate plan that can be realistic to
sustainable funding.
Let us therefore focus and harness the talent to
bring forth the Kenya we want, not in a hurry
but through agreeable means that as a nation
we can sustain and be proud of. In the words
of President J.F. Kennedy, let us work together
knowing that God's work,down here on earth
must truly be our own.
Vactrian; The future of travel?
Energy is one of the infrastructural enablers of the three pillars of vision 2030
by Mwaniki N Ngari
I
f you thi nk the 500MW pl an by the
government is ambitious then probably you
have not heard of the Vactrian.
The vactrain is a Vacuum Tube Train capable
of cruising at a speed of 2KM per second that
is 7200KM per hour!!.It is the future of rail
transport.
The vactrain ,technically, is a maglev line
run through evacuated (air-less) or partly
evacuated tubes or tunnels. The lack of air
resistance allows the vactrain to use little
power and to move at extremely high speeds,
of up to 6400, or 5-6 times the speed of sound
at standard conditions. At this speed, brake
failure is something no one would ever want
to think about. Giant pumps would be used to
keep a near vacuum in the tube, probably 30-
40km apart. The main areas for leaks would
be end stations. The trains would pass through
a series of airlocks that progressivelyreduce
the pressure until the train enters the fully
evacuated tunnel where it could accelerate to
top speed.
Operating in a vacuum, these "vehicles" would
make almost no sound, even as they smashed
through the sound barrier, because there'd be
no air for them to create sonic vibrations in.
The vactrain are considered a good way of
enhancing transcontinental travels. It could
allow for rapid intercontinental travels and
establish routes to form a global network. With
such transport system installed in Kenya, it
would take you less than four minutes to travel
to Mombasa from Kisumu and possibly less than
ten minutes to travel to neighboring Uganda
or Tanzania.
However, the cost of building such systems
is extremely high. Elevated concrete tubes
with partial vacuums have been proposed as
alternatives to the vacuum trains.
One can never guess right where technology
will have our current systems in the future;
innovation is clearly unpredictable at times.
The Vactrian idea is still in the pipeline though.
While Kenya is celebrating getting at the
standard gauge railway stage, some nations are
looking at the possibility of railway transport
on other levels.
Utility mapping
by Caleb Juma
T
his is one of the most important
statements in Kenya's blue print on
socio economic development.In one
way or another, the energy source
stressed above is Electricity. This 'clean' form
of energy will go a long way in ensuring that
Kenya becomes a middle income nation by the
year 2030.
Electricity has a myriad of uses. It can be
used to light households, start computers
and photocopiers at the office, move rollers
in industrial establishments as well as power
Posho mills in local villages around the country.
In addition to this, the use of electricity has
an added advantage of combating the ever
increasing global warming associated with
burning fossil fuel like Kerosene.
Even though Kenya stands to benefit from this
great commodity, only a small number (16.1%
according to the World Bank) of citizens can
access electricity. This means that more than
three quarters of the population, a large share
of which is rural, is in the dark. Nairobi, the
capital city too has its own power problems
with blackouts being the order of the day during
certain months.
Vandalism on the existing power lines and
transformers has further deteriorated the
situation. In the end, national electricity utility
companies such as Kenya Power and KETRACO
find themselves besieged with expanding their
network and maintaining the existing lines.
Utility mapping is a modern day geospatial
technol ogy that enabl es compani es to
visualize (i.e. showing the whereabouts of
various utility lines) and analyze their data
within a spatial context with an aim ofmaking
informeddecisions. For example, proximity
analysis can help a maintenance crew to know
the shortest path to an affected(black out) area
and a buffer zone can be used to estimate the
number of consumers being served by any
particular transformer.
To carry out the above, data on the area of
interest has to be collected and stored in a
Geodatabase. If the data is in analogue form
e.g. topographical maps, then the same has to
be scanned and georeferenced.
Once this has been done, digitization is carried
out to create layers as well as generate tabular
information to establish relationships between
various electrical assets and the consumers. All
of these will be used in analysis.
One of the software solutions in this field is the
ArcFM UT.
ArcFM UT is a versatile platform for carrying
out spatial processes. It provides extensive
functionality covering network documentation,
asset management, maintenance, customer
information management as well as planning.
It can be used to:
Capture data
Document the electricity line network
spatially view data
aid in the maintenance of the network
plan and design new networks
All in all, the software is easy to implement,
maintain and customize to an organization's
preference. The software also provides uniform
handling of common objects across a number
of utility branches i.e. water, electricity, waste
water and telecommunications.
It is my hope that KETRACO and Kenya power
will utilize this technology in their upcoming
projects and fulfill the crucial objective of
connecting every household to the grid faster
and more efficiently.
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Vision
A world class university committed to scholarly
excellence
Mission
To provide quality university education and
training and to embody the aspirations of
the Kenyan people and the global com-
munity through creation, preservation,
integration, transmission, and utilization
of knowledge.
FACT FILE
Student Population 62,000
Staf 5500
Research fund Kshs 3B
Alumni 146,000
Courses 517
International links Over 400
0 Centre for Biotechnology & Bioinformatics
0 Open and distance e-learning centre
0 Faculty of Arts
0 Faculty of Agriculture
0 Fa c u l t y o f Veter i n a ry Medicine
0 Institute of Anthropology, African and Gender Studies
0 Institute for Development Studies
0 Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies
0 Institute of Nuclear Science
0 Institute for Climate Change and Adaptation
0 Institute for Tropical and Infectious Diseases
0 Population Studies Research Institute
0 Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies
0 School of Mathematics
0 School of Computing and Informatics
0 School of Biological Sciences
0 School of Physical Sciences
0 School of the Arts and Design
0 S c h o o l o f t h e B u i l t Environment
0 School of Engineering
0 School of Business
0 School of Economics
0 School of Journalism and Mass Communication
0 School of Law
0 School of Continuing & Distance Education
0 School of Education
0 School of Dental Sciences
0 School of Medicine
0 School of Nursing Sciences
0 School of Pharmacy
0 School of Public Health
Contact:
P.O Box 30197,00100 - Nairobi | Tel: +254-020-318262 Ext: 263 | Fax; +254-020-245566
email: pr@uonbi.ac.ke
www.uonbi.ac.ke
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Faculties, Schools, Institutes
and Centres.
A
frican states have to move to
curb the spread of fear of Clean
Nuclear Energy. To be able to
sustain the industrial needs of
a country there is a need for a
stable power production system. Nuclear Power
plant would be one such investment. Kenya in
particular bathes itself in the blueprint of vision
2030 which unless handled with the efficacy
that is required shall be a sham just as the
global millennium development goals which as
Towards sustainable energy
Long term perspective of nuclear energy
by Lewis Sakwa
2015 knocks they have not been achieved to
the later.
An economy is driven by energy. It is therefore
mandatory that we move away from usage
of traditional sources of energy such as the
biomass which is relied upon by most of the
sub Saharan population. In this regard there is
need for us to dispel any fear thereof cultivated
either out of fear or ignorance so that we set
this country moving.
It is a fact that no single source of energy
generation is devoid of shortcomings. So is the
nuclear sector. Kenya has vast lands that are
unoccupied ranging from the scantily populated
counties of North Eastern Kenya to the South
rift. Under proper expatriate guidance and
with the right policies which require of course
political goodwill there are possibilities of
developing nuclear reactors stable enough to
solve the county's long lasting energy problem.
Coupled with the other subsidiary energy
production sector the implementation of such
a project would take this country to another
level and it would bring the vision 2030 closer
than it looks.
It is therefore necessary to elaborate at
length the nuclear energy sector from an new
perspective while reflecting on its pros and
cons to decisively enable the forthcoming crop
of engineers a different outlook in order to spur
industrial growth in this country.
Concerns over global warming and the spike in
oil prices have renewed worldwide interest in
nuclear energy, and with it renewed concerns
over nuclear safety. As a growing commercial
industry, nuclear power had been moribund in
the United States since the 1970s. Yet 15 percent
of the world's electricity comes from nuclear
power. Nuclear energy brings a combination of
strengths and weaknesses.
Nuclear Power Basics
A nuclear Power Plant
Nuclear power is generated inside a plant called
a reactor. The power source is the heat produced
by a controlled nuclear fission chain reaction,
either of uranium or plutonium. Uranium is the
major source of the nuclear energy consumed in
the world. Uranium was discovered by Klaproth
in Germany in 1789 and named after the newly
discovered planet Uranus. Uranium was largely
a scientific curiosity for many years and only
used as a yellow pigment in glass and ceramics.
Uranium was first confirmed in Australia as a
mineral in a cobalt deposit in Carcoar, NSW,
in 1894. Becquerel discovered radioactivity in
uranium minerals in Paris in 1896 and uranium
and its daughter product radium quickly rose
to fame. The main use for uranium for the next
40 years was as a source of radium for cancer
therapy and luminous paint.
Nuclear power has a very good safety record
except for Chernobyl where 31 died in 1986
and controversy still rages about how many
have died since or will die. Three Mile Island in
the United States was a total loss but not one
person died or was injured. Deaths from fossil
fuel industries are very high. Comparing the rate
of deaths in nuclear power plant generations as
compared with the other potential sources of
energy, the deaths are very low. At Chernobyl
31 died immediately though the argument rages
as to how many hundreds or thousands may
die in the future. It is estimated that more than
6,000 coal miners died in China in the recent
past. Hundreds have perished in the Australian
coal industry in the last 25 years ! Yet the
industry does not receive as much criticism as
the nuclear sector does. While long term effects
are there, the death rates are not as sporadic
and appalling as in the coal mining industry.
These are very worrying statistics and make
you realize that coal industry is a dangerous
place to work.
A nuclear reaction involves elements, such
as uranium or plutonium, being struck by a
neutron and splitting. The result of the fission
of these large atoms is the creation of new,
smaller atoms as byproducts, radiation and
more neutrons. Those neutrons speed out
and strike other uranium/plutonium atoms,
creating a chain reaction. The chain reaction is
controlled by neutron moderators, which vary
depending on the design of the reactor. This can
be anything from graphite rods to simple water.
Once the heat has been released, a nuclear
reactor produces electricity in exactly the same
manner as any other thermal-based power
plant. The heat converts water into steam, and
the steam is used to turn the blades of a turbine,
which runs the generator.
A nuclear accident that resulted in loss of
control over the fission chain reaction would
be extremely hazardous. The danger is that the
heat produced would outstrip the ability of the
reactor coolant to cope, potentially allowing
the nuclear reaction to run wild. This could
cause system failures which would release
radioactivity into the environment. In the case
of an extreme failure, the result would be a
nuclear meltdown, where the reacting nuclear
material burns or melts its way through its
containment vessel into the ground and then
into the water table. This would throw a huge
cloud of radioactive steam and debris into
the atmosphere. Accidents of this type have
the potential to release radioactivity over an
immense area. A small, well-contained accident
might just contaminate the power plant, while
a major one could result in fallout being spread
worldwide. While nuclear power has become
progressively safer with the introduction of new
reactor designs and technologies, it still carries
with it a risk that no other source of power does
According to the U.S. Department of Energy,
when all costs are factored in, nuclear power
costs an estimated $59.30 per megawatt hour.
This is expensive when compared to other
means of generating electricity. For example,
clean wind power is $55.60/MWH; coal $53.10/
MWH; and natural gas $52.50/MWH. While a
country like Kenya might want to base on the
argument of high initial cost which solely an
econometric concern there are more befitting
benefits that would otherwise warrant the
An illustration of a nuclear turbine
investment.
It is agreeable that capital costs are high due
to high level of quality and redundancy for
safety but are coming down;especially with
the technological advancement in the power
production and management. Fuel costs are
much lower than coal or gas over the plant
lifetime. Therefore lifetime costs are lower in
many countries, for example France, Finland,
Japan, China, Korea, Russia, eastern states of
Canada and USA.
Cost of waste management is not high and is
funded by a charge on every kWh produced; it
is factored into the cost not like coal and gas.
Cost of air pollution with coal is very high and
potential cost of global warming is enormous.
The power generated and its stability should
be a factor to consider over other sources of
energy referred to as clean sources such as the
hydro power. This is especially in developing
nations that have to rely on climatic patterns in
order to generate the power for their industries.
The adoption of the nuclear power generations
would do better for the sub-Saharan Africa and
Africa as a whole.
Spent fuels from a nuclear power plant are
radioactive and highly toxic. They also pose
security risks, as a terrorist who acquired a
substantial amount of nuclear waste could
construct a so-called "dirty bomb," with the
purpose of spreading radioactive materials over
a large area. An accident or attack involving
radioactive waste would likely contaminate a
strictly local area.
On the other hand, we can derive advantages
of using nuclear energy. We take a look at a few
listed below.
Nuclear fuels are derived from uranium and
plutonium. Uranium is available in plentiful
quantities in the United States, and plutonium
is created as a byproduct of the nuclear fission
process (indeed, breeder reactor designs
maximize plutonium production). Replacing oil
burning power plants with
nuclear power plant would therefore be
helping with achieving energy independence.
Indeed, France gets more than 75 percent of
its electricity from nuclear power precisely
because of a national energy independence
policy. It is therefore a prerequisite that for
such projects to be established we must have a
policy in hand that can ensure that the success
is guaranteed. The high capital cost of nuclear
plants is claimed by some to make nuclear
power uneconomic, but the lower fuel costs
are often overlooked. When all costs are taken
into account, the leveled cost of electricity from
a nuclear plant is economic against many other
forms of energy in many countries
Nuclear energy does not involve burning
fossil fuels, and therefore does not in any
way contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
In this respect, it is as clean as solar, wind,
geothermal and hydro power. The problem
before developing nations look immense but
they are heightened by the fact that the nations
have not undertaken enough research on the
nuclear waste management and disposal. While
it may be argued that waste from the reactors
such as plutonium may pose a big risk countries
interested in clean energy cannot be tamed
because there is a phobia of plutonium reaching
the hands of the terrorists.
Plutonium is claimed by some to be the most
dangerous substance on earth, and is too big
a risk to counteract the benefits of nuclear
power. The basic fear arises from its use in
the bomb on Nagasaki. Very few scientists, or
the public, realize that plutonium is generated
inside the fuel in every nuclear power reactor
and provides 20-30% of the heat and electricity
produced. It has been used safely in reactors
for 50 years.
Plutonium has also been processed in tons
amounts over that time without any serious
accident
to the public. Of course it is dangerous, but
there are many more dangerous substances in
common use which can and have killed many
people including act of 'God'.
Anti-war and anti-nuclear critics claim that if a
country has nuclear power and uranium and a
research program then these will lead inevitably
to nuclear weapons. The facts are that only 5
major and 2 other countries have developed
nuclear weapons over 50 years whereas over
100 have signed the Non Proliferation Treaty
and agreed not to develop them. A decision to
have nuclear weapons is a political decisions
not a technical one. If that decision is taken
it is possible for a state to develop weapons
relatively easily, but not a terrorist group. This
decision does not rely on having nuclear power.
Developing nations therefore have to take up
the role. And in so doing they ought to harness
this power of nature to better the lives of the
people. Kenya in particular shall enjoy this in
a more special way. Understanding that any
nations achievement industrially are based on
its energy reliability then it is a high time we
took a look at this sector of energy generation
and not overlook it at the behest of developed
nations disguise of proliferation of nuclear
weapons.
T
he 4th of July will remain embedded
in the hearts of individuals across
the globe. To the Americans this
is their Jamhuri day, the day they
got free from the shackles of colonialism. To
football fanatics, the 4th was when Germany
made mi ncemeat of the French i n the
quarterfinals run of the world cup. To naval
enthusiasts, this date will remind them of the
naming of United Kingdom's largest warship,
the HMS Queen Elizabeth.
UK is in the process of building two aircraft
carriers, the 65,000 ton HMS queen Elizabeth
and its sister ship, HMS prince Wales. Even
though HMS Queen Elizabeth will begin its
Royal service in 2020, a lot of pomp and
colour went into the naming ceremony. The
Queen even got a chance to participate in an
old English tradition by smashing a bottle of
whisky onto the hull of the ship, via a button
of course. About 3,500 people were present
including the incumbent prime minister, David
Cameron who described it as a 'proud day' for
his country. However, the cost of this pride was
a whopping 6.2billion pounds!
The ai rcraft carri er i s the si ngle most
menacing ship in any blue water navy of the
world. Its main purpose is to carry, deploy and
recover aircrafts. One such carrier, the Nimitz
class can carry up to ninety aircraft! In other
words, this chunk of metal is a mobile ocean
going military airbase. This military island
has the capability to operate thousands of
miles from its homeport, acting as an off
shore headquarters and wreaking havoc on
any unlucky enemy further inland. Its size
alone (it is as long as twenty five buses) will
What powers a modern aircraft carrier?
by Caleb Juma
makes any self-respecting political leader of an
opposing country to think twice before waging
war. Although the carrier is a darling of all world
navies, only a few can afford it with the USA
taking a large share of this exclusive club with
10 active carriers. The entry barrier to this big
boy club is simply the costs associated with
building, powering and servicing the ship.
The modern aircraft carrier is powered via a
nuclear reactor. The reactors in US carriers
are pressurized water reactors(PWR) that
can run on low enriched uranium or on high
enriched uranium. Unlike commercial land
based reactors, the fuel rods are not UO2 but a
metal zirconium alloy. The reactor sizes range
up to 500 megawatt with refueling after ten or
more years. This reduces the hustle that most
ships have with regards to fuelling at the ports
they call.
The nuclear fuel in the reactor vessel undergoes
a fission chain reaction releasing heat in the
process. Light water is used as the primary
coolant in a pressurized water reactor. It
enters the bottom of the reactor core via a
primary coolant tube and is heated as it flows
to a temperature of about 300 degrees Celsius.
This 'special' water remains liquid at such high
temperatures due to the high pressure it is
subjected to in the primary coolant loop.
The water is then pumped around the core by
powerful pumps. After picking up heat, the
primary coolant transfers this energythrough
the walls of the tube to a lower pressure
secondary coolant, evaporating it to pressurized
steam for use in a steam turbine. The steam
is fed through a steam turbine connected to a
set of speed reduction gears then to a shaft
used for propulsion. Direct mechanical action
by expansion of the steam can be used for a
steam powered aircraft catapult, the ones used
to launch aircraft from the decks of the carrier.
The cooled light water in the primary circuit
is then returned into the reactor vessel to be
heated again.
The major disadvantage with this energy
source is its disposalafter decommissioning
of the warship. Due to its high radioactivity,
it requires special handling which is always
expensive. Two schools of thought are used in
such scenarios. One, after defueling, the reactor
section of the vessel is cut from its ship and
disposed into shallow graves as low level waste.
On the other hand, the entire ship can be sealed
and the nuclear material allowed to stay afloat
indefinitely.
///// FEATURE
Where the wind blows
by Agoi Anzweni & Kanyeki Gicheha
J
ust go where the wind blows. This phrase
had no other meaning to me before May,
other than its colloquial or proverbial
meaning, in which case anyway it would
be an unwise advice. May is when I visited the
magnificent wind power station in Ngong Hills in
sub-urban Nairobi. That is when my perception
of the phrase changed, though in terms of
renewable energy sources.
Founded in 1993 with two turbines as a donation
from the Belgium government, ngong hills was
re-commissioned in August 2009 with new 6
Vestas V52-850kW Wind Turbines installed.
These until now produce a staggering combined
5.1 MW of electrical power on an acreage of land
not more than 10 acres. Masinga in its own
right as the biggest dam in Kenya, produces 40
MW of power on peak season, this of course is
highly subject to season and climate changes.
Currently, and at the time KenGen and vestas
were carrying out an upgrade on the wind farm
of about 36 more turbines on the northern side
of the hills. This would in turn increase installed
capacity of wind energy at the station to an
impressive 25.1MW all throughout the year.
The Vestas v52-850kW turbines used at the
current farm in Ngong, produce each on average
850kW of power operating at cut-in wind
speeds of 4m/s which is generally a breeze.
The nominal speed of this turbine is 21m/s of
wind and cut out at 28 m/s which in normal
conditions are hardly achievable. The turbines
stand on average 60 meters high with a blade
a blade radius of 52m, which provides optimum
conditions for power production. With each
tower producing 850kW of power reportedly
a full capacity being developed is capable of
generating 30.6 MW of power assuming the
whole farm uses the same turbines.
An interest General Electric to develop or set
up a wind farm in Kinangop in the coming years
led me to try and find out what GE wind energy
divisions' wind turbines had in store for us. What
I found out was quite impressive. The GE 1.5-77
turbine is capable of producing 1.5MW of power
at lower cut in wind speeds of 3.5m/s, nominal
wind speeds of 11.5 m/s and cut out speeds of
20m/s and smaller hub height of 80 meters.
The GE 2.5-100 is well capable of producing 2.5
MW of power at the same cut-in speeds; it has
higher nominal and cut out speeds of 12.5 m/s
and 25m/s respectively. The most spectacular
of them all, the GE 4.1-113 turbine produces an
impressive 4.1MW of power, only 1MW shy of
the total capacity of the Ngong power station!
All this at lower cut in speeds of 3.5m/s of
wind speeds, and of course higher cut out and
nominal wind speeds of 25 m/s and 14m/s
respectively. The GE 4.1-113 however has a huge
frame with blade radius of 113 meters and is the
company's only offshore model at the moment.
As it occurred to me and to most of you, many
regions in our magical Kenya have the required
wind speeds required to install these machines.
And that it's very possible to see numerous
numbers wind stations sprout all over the
country to try and supplement the current
electrical power deficit witnessed in the various
parts of the nation.
The vision 2030 states that Kenya requires
roughly 2GW of power in 2030 from wind
generation alone. According to the KenGen
website, a feasibility study conducted on
Ngong Hill states that the site is well capable of
generating up to 14.9GWh of energy per annum
on average from a 5.1MW farm. If all this energy
could be harvested in Ngong alone, the energy
target of our vision 2030 would be well in reach,
without breaking a lot of sweat!
With eminent wind projects to be developed
in Turkana and Marsabit by KenGen , and so
far in Kinangop and Kipeto by GE , we would
have the wind energy increase its current
share of contribution to the national grid.
Further development of this sector would
even see it easily surpassing the current big
two contributors to the grid HEP and Thermal,
which currently stand at 761MW and 527.5 MW
respectively. Kipeto alone would see 47 GE 1.6-
100 and 16 GE 1.6-82.5 wind turbines installed;
leading to an installed capacity of 102.06 MW
power. Whereas Kinangop upon its completion
will generate 381.6MW of electrical power, as
the figures suggest, this four stations would
be well above the current number one energy
provider in Kenya, the HEP.
Numbers don't lie, as we grow towards our
precious vision 2030, let's just trust the wind
like the sailors and go where it blows. Then, our
vision 2030 energy goals are well over in reach!
Social Commentary
Alcoholism and Drug abuse in varsities
It all counts!
Kenyan Universities
The inanimate player
ESA
Ngong Wind Power turbines at Ngong Hills
///// MENTORSHIP MENTORSHIP \\\\\
Alcoholism and drug abuse in varsities
by Ken Kimani
L
oud Jamaican dance-hall and riddim
musi c bl asts from a sub-woofer
system. Bottles of alcohol are popped
in the semi-dark room. There is a lot
of excitement, telling from the hearty laughter
and talk in the room. A group of about a dozen
youth are lost in the frenzy of their dance
which involves the ladies gyrating their hips in
a rhythmic synchronization with the tunes, while
being held closely in a sensual manner by their
male partners. This is a picture of most rooms
in the university halls of residence on a Friday
night. The partying that has come to be known
as 'raving' around students' quarters goes
on till dawn, and at times, through the whole
weekend. The week has been long and stressful.
The stress has to be let out before the start of
the next week.
A few months ago, Christian Organizations in
the university had campaigns against drug
abuse and sexual immorality. This was informed
by the fears of increase in cases of violent
fights and new HIV infections and even deaths
that were linked directly to alcoholism and
reckless sexual behavior that results from the
intoxication. The campaign wasn't very popular
among the students and just a few number of
students visited the booths that were set up
for counselling and possible rehabilitation of
students who grapple with addiction to alcohol
and other drugs use.
Well, it is said that experience is the best teacher
but in such a case it is obvious that experience
would be the most painful way to learn, unless
of course you are learning from the experience
of others. I'm going to share a story that I came
across in a book. Hopefully we get to learn from
the writer's 'experience'.
I Can't Be Dead!!!
'The day of my death was a day like any other...
It was a Friday. I recall that I asked a friend to
lend me his car. The classes ended at 16 00 hrs...
I was going to be free the whole weekend. Being
just 3 weeks into the semester, I was still loaded
with money thanks to HELB loan that was just
about a week-old in my account. I had to go
'raving'.
I ran to the car park. Before starting the engine,
I noticed, to my surprise, that my friend had left
a bottle of liquor on the rear seat. I opened it,
drunk quite a bit and drove off at full speed. I
was feeling powerful behind the steering wheel.
I was enjoying my liberty and I was going to
have fun...The last thing I remember is that I was
trying to overtake an old lady who was driving
very slowly. I then felt a violent crash that made
me fall unconscious...
Then I heard the echo of my own moan. At a
moment's notice, I 'woke up' from that terrible
lethargy. A policeman was by my side. There
was a doctor on the other side.My body was
covered in blood. But I couldn't feel anything.
"Don't place that sheet on my face. I can't be
dead! I'm just 20!! I'm picking my girlfriend for
a party tonight. I'm going to be an Engineer!! I
need to grow up and enjoy life. I can't be dead!!!"
The funeral was a strange experience. I saw my
relatives and friends approach the coffin, one
by one. They looked at me sadly. The girls would
touch my hand and start crying.
"Please don't bury me, as I'm not dead!! My
whole life is ahead of me! I want to laugh, run
and live. I want to sing and dance. Don't put me
six feet under. Oh, God, I promise that if you
give me another chance, I'll be more careful. I
just need one more chance. Let me live! Please,
God I'm just 20!! Sadly, there wasn't that other
chance."
It all counts!
by John Gachinu
S
o you're in this afternoon lecture.
It's been one hour since the lecturer
walked in- this particular one is
invariably very punctual. No matter
how hard you try to concentrate, you can barely
make out what the lecturer is 'rambling about.'
The sun is out, scorching, you've had a heavy
lunch and you're vigorously fighting off sleep.
You know that you drool generously so taking
a nap in class is out of the question. Friends
have picked on you enough for that. Looking
around, you see everyone is either busy texting
away or gabbing with friends; technically doing
everything but following the lecture. Of course
with the exception of the 'focused students'
who take the front row in the lecture hall. Time
seems to stay still! You feel that it's been a
waste of your time coming to this lecture. But
you remember that it were your friends who
dragged you here. So you let your mind drift
away to petty things till after what seems like
an eternity, the lecturer declares that he'll
pick from where (s)he's left next time. Phew!
However, your joy is short-lived since you know
there is more agony in waiting in the subsequent
lectures. Nevertheless, you savour the moment.
We've all been there haven't we? There are
those units we take in certain semesters that to
us seem to make no sense. We can't wait for the
semester to end so we can light our home jikos
with the lecture notes! Show me a student who
enjoys and appreciates each and every unit in
the engineering curriculum and I'll show you the
'I' in 'liar.' Like for instance, the common units
we take in our first years of study. Up until this
point, I've never figured out why I had to take
Philosophy. On meeting one of my Philosophy
lecturers in first year, I was convinced that
there was only one way I could attain an A- if I
proved that my lecturer did not exist. And since
I couldn't, he didn't disappoint me. He simply
seemed that stingy with good grades.
There's a friend I know who's lost interest in
classes. He laments that the current curriculum
is old fashioned and ought to be revised by
the senate. The look on his face when he's
carrying a T-square to class is as if he just got
sold to slavery and his first assignment is to
carry animal feeds with a yoke fastened on his
shoulders. After all there's AutoCAD right? So
why spend sleepless nights doing it the manual
(IEBC) way? Even our very own government is
digitalized. In Theory of Structures, he can't see
why we have to learn four strenuous methods
of calculating deflections while one is sufficient.
Do you suppose he's right? Are some of our
units insignificant? I beg to differ.
It is a fact, society has changing needs. The world
is rapidly changing as factors like technology
take over our lives. But one maxim forever
holds, 'The more things change, the more they
stay the same.' For example, if I may digress,
people are spending beyond their means to get
the flashiest phones and spend countless hours
engaging in faceless conversations whereas in
the long run, nothing will take away the primal
face to face communication between two or
more people; minus the phones. No matter
how successful or powerful a woman gets,
she'll never be entirely satisfied in life without a
man. Think about it. Nothing really changes. We
aren't any different from the people who lived in
past centuries. Maybe life has become simpler.
Maybe I&M bank wasn't there for Pharaoh to
stash his money. But humans: nose, eyes, ears,
legs, emotions, habits, the nature and the world
is just as it was in Jesus' times.
Our curriculum was developed with the end as
the beginning which is: what you'll become in
society with all the knowledge you've accrued
over the years. Engineering is an arcane, yet
very vital field in yesterday's, today's and
tomorrow's world. Engineers are probably the
most awesome people ever. The Coliseum,
one of the most iconic marvels of Roman
engineering was built in 70AD and has survived
to date withstanding all the earthquakes and
other nature's demons and maintaining its
distinguished status as the largest amphitheatre
in the world. What else has lived that long? A
doctor can't extend a life to more that averagely
120 years. I could list a million others case
studies. And do you know what the geniuses
who developed the syllabuses had in mind?
'We want to develop an engineer with highly
cognitive abilities' - Theory of Structures with
all its complexities. Strength of materials and
others.
///// MENTORSHIP
'We want an engineer who will have financial
ski lls to enj oy the sweat of hi s labour.'
Economics.
"We want an engineer to understand health
risks both to himself and to the society. And at
least have some knowledge outside his scientific
abilities." Public health.HIV/AIDS.Philosophy.
Drawing: Can you learn how to key in 1+1 into the
calculator before you can calculate it yourself?
What happens when the calculator is taken
away? Exactly. In the same vein, you can't learn
how to design using computers before you can
draw by hand.
I've leaned towards civil engineering because
that's what I do, but this spans across all
disciplines particularly in engineering. Each
and everything we study gears us to becoming
fully fledged professionals in society; capable
of building the Coliseums of our generation. It
may not be interesting. It may take up tons of
our time. But it all counts. Those who've been
in industrial attachments can attest to this.
I've seen engineering drawings that utilize the
same formats in terms of border lines and title
blocks etc; not only in Kenya but also around
the world. Moments of inertia are calculated
the same way even in Australia. And they're
completely real-world in the field. Appreciate
all what you're learning today. And you'll see
how easily you'll blend in the engineering
world, solving problems and creating unique,
magnificent structures. It all counts.
Kenyan Universities
by Kevin Odongo
Where did we go wrong?
S
o it is the second decade of the 21st
century, a Kenyan privileged enough
to go to University still has lots of
bragging rights. They have succeeded,
nay, survived through high school. They may
still be the first people to make it to university
from their villages. They look very innovative
and visionary.
Two or three years down the line, the visionary
student has undergone radical changes. Having
been in the university for that time, they are
expected to have learnt a lot to help create jobs,
improve service delivery across different fields,
increase productivity and generally improve
lives, but alas! The visionary has lost all hopes of
ever making something big. They have reduced
their dreams to reality. They have learnt how
to play their cards. Know someone who knows
someone-that's what they have learnt. They
have learnt the government does not listen to
sound reasoning and ideas-neither does their
university!
So the student starts being very 'creative!' Very
opportunistic. A blackout in the evening when
the student is busy making ugali is fully utilized.
The motorists using roads around the university
bear the students frustrations. Rocks are hurled
at the cars. A motorist is never allowed to go
peacefully until they appease the hungry,
angry students. One thousand Kenyan shillings
or about does the trick. Yes! One thousand
shillings! The students are happy. They've got
free cash. And Oh, God! It's so much!
Yes! That's how myopic the student becomes.
They do not realize the millions of opportunities
around them. They do not realize they could
make millions just by utilizing that dark
moment-in the right way. They just see the
quickest way- robbing their potential employers
since they have lost the brains to help them be
entrepreneurs and employers themselves.
The student remains a campus survivor,
drunk seven days a week, playing computer
games, watching movies and smoking unholy
substances in their free time. Always looking for
a dark opportunity to exploit. There is no study
in their lists of to-do. They believe the number
one danger to human life is study-it kills the
brain! Resulting in a coma!
Elections and campaign periods provide another
leeway for these hoodlums. They 'benefit' a lot
during these periods. All the politicians require
their services. They are employed to punish
political opponents and guard their masters.
They have no permanent masters, they switch
allegiance according to the depth of pockets.
They are quick to use their body muscles in
whatever scenario they are presented with.
Their brain muscles remain un-utilized.
Looking backwards, you would wonder what
changed, a very bright, visionary student
reduced to sycophancy and boot-licking of
godfathers, someone with no independence,
very poor-not able to even think for themselves!
Points to one thing, there is something terribly
wrong with our universities. We are so busy
being proud of being in the university that we
do not pause to think if the university is really
serving us right.
I do not have to mention that most top
innovations worldwide were by College drop-
outs, several successful business are by
college drop-outs. It may be because college
wastes great brains! These people may have
just escaped from the 'mass-wastage.' I'm in
no way suggesting that university education is
not helpful, but I'm saying that there may be
something wrong with our universities.
Take an example of University of Nairobi.
Although, a leading university in the region,
it takes in very bright students, the students
who top in the country. Students who make
headlines when high school test results are
released. Yet that becomes the end of the
news making, which shouldn't be the case.
The great brains should become better at the
university and should make bigger headlines in
the world. There are students who still manage
to make headlines worldwide but if you asked
them,it is unlikely they will mention being in a
particular Kenyan university as a factor. Kenyan
universities do very little to engage students
outside the classroom. They concentrate most in
the classwork, some of which aren't presented
in a way that would help the student come up
with something. The lecturers never challenge
the students to try out something new, they are
always told to follow set standards!
The government does nothing meaningful in
the universities to promote innovation and
entrepreneurship. It always wants you to take
the painful steps through its offices to be
listened to. Now with all these odds against
the students, we still wonder why Kenyan
universities are innovation deserts!?
The inanimate player
by John Gachinu
T
he World Cup is here with us! For a whole
month, all eyes will be fixed on Brazil as
the football nation erupts into sporting
frenzy. Tickets have been booked, jerseys have
been tagged and boots have been polished.
Thirty two teams, the finest the world can
produce will be battling it out for the coveted
trophy, the golden world cup.
The stadiums too have not been left behind.
From Estadi o do Maracana to Castel ao,
refurbishment and good engineering practices
have left them looking more like national
monuments rather than soccer fields. Maracana
for instance looks like a shiny silver wedding
ring from a bird's eye view, a ring probably to
symbolize the eternal marriage between the
Brazilian people and the football bonanza. This
doyen of modern architecture will host the
opening and closing matches of the World's
greatest sporting event.
Maracana (or Estadio Journalista Mario as it
is officially known) can trace its roots to the
1950s when it was constructed to host the 1950
World Cup. However, with the changing times
and advancement in technology, this historical
masterpiece had to be modernized. The original
stadium's roof was removed and replaced
with fibre glass tension membrane coated
with polytetrafluoroethylene (hydrophobic
fluorocarbon meaning that water cannot wet it).
Its two tier sitting bowl was demolished giving
way to a one tier sitting configuration.
The stadi um face l i f t was al so done to
LEED specifications.To be certified by LEED
(Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design), Maracana's architects and engineers
had to adhere to certain standards. The sludge
removed from the area was not simply dumped
by the side. It was analyzed by soil engineers
who discovered it had bentonite with high iron
content making it suitable for ceramic mixtures.
It was then processed into bricks and used in
Masonry buildings.
Steel, that was part of the original structure was
crushed, moulded and recycled in the precasting
of new bleachers and access ramps. To ensure
rational water use, an elaborate network of
channels covering the pitch was actualized to
capture rain water and take advantage of the
heavy rains common in the South American
country.
In the case of energy use, the stadium has been
fitted with photovoltaic panels to generate
solar energy, taking advantage of the hot Rio
de Janeiro sun. Photovoltaic panels are made
from layers of semi conducting material, usually
silicon. When light shines on it, it creates an
electric field across the layers, even during
cloudy days.
Hence, when you are shouting yourself hoarse
thanks to Messi's magic or simply watching in
astonishment at Germany's well-oiled midfield,
don't forget to cheer for the inanimate player,
the round hulky silver ring.
MENTORSHIP \\\\\
University of Nairobi American wing
Maracana stadium in Brazil
///// INTERVIEW INTERVIEW \\\\\
I
n this issue we profiled Engineer Julius Riungu; Currently The CEO
of Tsavo Power. Formerly Deputy MD for Kenya Power. Eng. Julius
Riungu has a long standing proficiency in the field of engineering.
He is a reflection of an all-round engineer and as he sits back you
can see one self -actualized person in terms of Engineering.
Having begun his career way back in 1970 as a 'bursar' with Kenya Power
and Lighting after his Form six, he has experience stretching into more
than four decades. However his easy going nature might lie that he is
not as he seems. We took an incisive look at his long career, probing
and inquiring of what he felt about the state of engineering in Kenya,
the place of the Kenyan engineer in the economy and more pertinently,
the energy situation and its future. Here is how the interview went on:
How would you describe yourself? Who is Engineer Riungu?
What motivated you to be an engineer?
I am an Engineer by profession something that I am proud of and has
been fulfilling to me. Reflecting on this again, I would say I wanted to
be an accountant but at form four I changed my mind and as I went to
the A levels, with the advice of my teacher I ended up taking chemistry
Physics and Mathematics. I am delighted to say that from that day my
fortunes were changed as I entered a defining phase of life.
The pleasant thing about engineering is that in your thought and
actions as a profession you seek to improve the life of individuals. This
is something I have done and I am so proud of.
Do you mean to say that Engineering is better than
accounts or in general, other careers?
Yes. I canconfidently say it is better. The reason is that, there is no
monotony of work in Engineering. One has to consistently keep thinking
of ways to solve the problems at hand and times change, new solutions
must be found for the new problems that arise. There is motivation
therefore, which is seen by the impact one creates. One can therefore
think of engineering as a world of innovation where things have to keep
changing from the way they were always done.
You realize too that in Engineering, it's easier to question and improve
unlike in other professional cadres.
What led you to pursuing the Electrical Engineering and not
the other disciplines of engineering?
When I decided to pursue engineering, I was not sure of which one but
I liked electricity and to add on it I was a handy person. I was thrilled
by the idea of the invisible electrons resulting into electricity. In quest
to know much I delved into it and the only sure discipline was Electrical
engineering.
In his own perspective
by Lewis Sakwa and Kevin Odongo
Engineer Julius Riungu
Comparing The Engineering field now and when you were
in school and the time you began yourcareer four decades
ago, what elaborate differences can you point out?
I would say that the incorporation and the strides in ICT have changed the
field tremendously. During our times we had mainframes using vacuum
tubes in the university. At that time they were the sophistication of the
day. We would write our FOTRAN programs, punch them on cards and
feed them into the computer. The whole process of correcting the errors
would take us like 3 days. Then came the era of desktops which were a
reserve of just a few in offices. As we look back now, we can appreciate
the changes that have been effected with the improvements in the
information technology.
When you take a look at the Power Generation, you can confidently say
that the process and even the machinery have changed. We used to have
the steam turbines but right now we have improved diesel generators.
Hydro generation has not changed much however although there has
been lots of improvements in the efficiency of machines that are used
and so on.
During out time, harnessing of wind was out of option but as we speak,
that has changed a lot. You can see thepopularity with which the solar
technology has swung into the market. We can therefore say without
doubt that improvements in technology have brought lots of change in
the profession and its practice.
Would you say that there are any innovations from Kenya?
There are two levels from which we can look at a nation as regards
technology. We can be a technology producer or technology consumer.
Kenya stands in the latter. Reason is we do not have research going
on. For actualization of innovation, we need to have research facilities
equipped with modern equipment that in the end will spur technological
advancement. We may also say that what our Universities receive for
research is very minimal and this can curtail the process.
Nevertheless, we can say that innovative research has not been
harnessed. What we have witnessed is majorly academic research. This
has not been able to put us in a situation where we can develop. We
need actual partnerships between the Industrial sector players and the
Universities offering engineering in this country to be able to come up
with solution; innovative solutions to the problems that are particular
to this country.
If the Universities could come up with memoranda for the industries,
several companies could fund the building and equipping of laboratories
of these institutions. In return industrial solutions could be carried out by
the Universities and in so doing we would come up with new products.
When you regard a country like Germany, it is a technology producer.
Siemens has a university which they support in the research and is
therefore very easy to develop new products. As of now we are simply
a technology consuming country.
What would be your recommendation on this situation?
This has got to change. And as I said, we are aware the government is
putting in 2% of the GDP into research. Partnership between universities
and the industry is a mandatory undertaking. Universities may offer lots
of solution to recurrent problems faced in the industry as they have all
the time. But the University must take the initiative. Nigeria is already
doing this. Who are we not to?
What would you therefore say is the problem? What has
made these partnerships difficult?
It boils down to a silo mentality. When the University and other academic
institutions think that they are totally independent of the industry and
they centrally place teaching above the rest then we have a problem.
The teaching institutions alone cannot do any worthwhile job without
modern equipment which unfortunately they cannot procure. The
African Development Bank is trying this through the government but
that alone cannot be enough. The heads of these institutions hence
need a memorandum with the industrial players, based on a mutual
agreement and with benefit for both sides. The Engineering department
needs to show what they can do.
If you take a look at Kenyatta National Hospital and the fact that it
has incorporated the University in its program, we can successfully say
there are a larger number of trained doctors, proficient even in delicate
processes like kidney transplant. Something we did not have earlier. The
engineering field must also take after the same to see good engineers
being produced.
Let's take a look at your experience in the profession? How
has it been?
I can say I started off as a hands-on engineer to rise to the Deputy
Eng. Julius Riungu (circled) with fellow IEK members at a past IEK conference
fber optic cables mounted at communication port
Managing Director of Kenya Power and Lighting Company. This is a career
stretching from 1973 to 2008 when I retired after those years of service.
One thing my ascendancy has taught me is that one must gain experience
and work in all sectors of the industry before he can look down and
appreciate the functionality of the Company he is working for. I can
attest that I practically worked in all departments of KPLC before I was
promoted to being the Deputy MD. I have to also advise that experience
is core if you want to work well. Otherwise one might not be able to
handle the intricacies of management.
One must understand and be conversant with all sectors of the industry,
be it legal requirements to customer service. You must be able to handle
it well. And it is by working through all these departments that you
realize its importance.
Was KPLC your first place of work?
Yes it was. And again it was the only one till when I retired at the age
of 55 years. I joined it straight from form six and left for three years to
pursue my degree at London University. I came back in 1973 and worked
there till 2008. After that I was a consultant with the Ministry of Energy
handling a world Bank Financial Project. After that I later joined Tsavo
Power, where I now work today.
Do you think it was a good idea to stay in one company as
you did?
I wouldn't advise so, but I know that what is important is job satisfaction
and if you are getting that then you have no reason whatsoever that
would make you quit. It would be good to mention that I never worked
in one station or department for more than two years and therefore my
work was not monotonous. So I enjoyed it.
You are the immediate former chairperson of The
Institution of Engineers of Kenya, what is IEK andwhat
would you say you do?
IEK is a professional body that caters for the welfare of its members. It
also is also tasked as an advisory body to the government on matters that
concern Engineering field. We liaise with Universities as well. While EBK
is a regulatory body, we as the IEK ensure that our members, upcoming
in the Colleges are well trained.
We speak for our members and we have as said advised the government
and we are still engaging them in projects undertaken like the Konza City,
the Standard Gauge Railway and others that concern the development
of this country.
Are there chapters of IEK?
Yes. During my tenure we introduced the women's chapter to facilitate
their own discussions on affairs affecting them that they cannot raise
whenever we are together. The forum is functional at the moment. We
also have the Association of Consulting Engineers who have problems
of a different level from the Young Engineers Chapter. Each of these
groups require a different attention and have different interests. We
are forming the Military chapter from the observation that many more
military engineers are joining us as reflected in the last conference.
Do you have a student chapter?
We have not seen much of student involvement but I would say the most
we have witnessed is Engineering Students Association of University of
Nairobi. It's the largely present body of students we see. We support
them and have always done so. However there have been recent
development of Associations of Engineering Students having the desire
to come together as one and have representatives. This would be good
for in that case we can include at least their member in the executive
committee of IEK to be representing them.
Now to a different matter altogether, you are a senior
stakeholder in the energy sector by the virtueof your
position, what would you say of the Energy situation in the
country? Give a perspective into thefuture.
I chair the Energy Sector Board for The Kenya Private Sector alliance
and I can tell you that going forward the energy sector is promising.
The government is planning to put up a total of 5 Giga-watts in the next
three years. This I would say is a good Vision which if implemented shall
steer this country to a different economic level. There is investment in
the Geothermal Power; there is a 600MW gas power station. We also
have 900MW coal plant in Lamu and another one in Kitui. There is the
Turkana Oil Plant coming up soon. So in my view, the best times for this
country in terms of Energy are approaching in the near future. As for
the employment in the energy sector it is tremendous. There is plenty of
market for Petroleum Engineers and Chemical Engineers too. The future
is bright for those coming into the profession. You shall be smiling all
the way to the bank.
We also have to consider projects that are going on under the LAPSSET
project There is a pipeline all the way to Lamu from South Sudan carrying
crude oil which means we shall require constant heating at intervals.
This will in turn require massive power input and hence the investment
is worth it.
There is also a project going on in the Tana Delta which seeks to irrigate
one million acres of land. Through this initiative we can develop food
processing industries that would consume the power and in the end
create more employment both in the production and in the processing.
Do we produce enough energy as of now?
Demand of energy is propelled by industrialization. Even the GDP related
to the energy levels in a country and so is economic growth. In that light I
wouldn't say yes. All I think is that we need to industrialize more in order
to spur the growth of the energy sector. You cannot produce what you
cannot sell. We need to encourage industries at the point of production.
We would in the end produce on large scale and instead of exporting raw
materials we could do it in form of finished products.
The problem of our energy system is probably in the transmission and
distribution network. Our transmission and Distribution Network is
generally weak and unstable and not until that is efficiently handled
we might not be receiving power as desired. They need to carry out
reinforcement and maintenance. Privatization wouldn't change much as
the same KETRACO lines are being used for transmission and generation
is still under the same body. Again it doesn't always work. Take a look at
what happened to Kenya Refineries.
Do you think that there are plenty of opportunities for
young people in the energy sector?
Yes. There are plenty of opportunities in terms of employment. There
are many upcoming projects that offer lucrative job opportunities for
young people.
what of on the investment part? Do you think it is easy?
As for investment, I would doubt that. A power plant installation costs
about $130 million while the license fee on an annual basis is around
$200000/=. Where would a young graduate from the university get that?
Unless you have come into property... and it should be lots of it. All I
would say is that the jobs in the sector are really promising and all you
have to do is work hard and get those. Otherwise, not even one investor
can set up a power plant. They need to come together...and they as
always are multinational corporations.
There have been concerns about the continued influx of foreign
companies in the Kenyan economyand it is causing ripples even in
the students. This is especially related to the Chinese companies
clinching what others say are all contracts; what is your take?
I believe that the contracted companies meet the threshold of
requirements for the particular contracts. They must also prove that they
are up to the task. However, we must know that the Chinese companies
especially the ones in construction are supported by their government
and the subsidy helps them to be able to complete the projects in time
and do an efficient job. They bid lower than our local companies even
when the 15% allowance is given to the local contractors. In that case
one is but obliged to contract them.
The other thing is, that they would complete the project on time and
wait for the payment later. This is because of the subsidy. This, our locals
cannot keep up with and the project would stall. It is therefore true to
say that there is not much financial muscle from our local contractors.
Again when you compare the quality of work done by the Chinese and
the one by our local contractors, there is a great contrast. Even the
Tanzanian contractors do a better job than our very own. So they would
up their game or watch as the government outsources for other efficient
and ethically apt companies.
But the government policy is tilting towards them again. All projects of
one billion and below are being awarded to local contractors and they
are not restricted from bidding against other foreign companies.
what is your take about the training offered to the Kenyan
Student Engineer and whether this couldpropel us to
achieving the vision 2030?
The response we have from the industry is a sad one. We do not produce
quality for the industry. Yet our curriculum is good. As I said before, we
have fewer resources. We have fewer lecturers who switch their time
between different universities. We no longer have tutorial fellows as it
used to be. We have too many universities offering engineering without
proper infrastructural support. And if there is infrastructure then it is
outdated and irrelevant for the industry as of today. These loopholes
must be filled if we so desire to move forward.
The industries have a feeling that the student sometimes do not know
what to do. There is a need to build a compulsory curriculum that
incorporates a time not less than 6 months of an internship to industry
so as to keep the student up to date with the industry. If we do not train
professionals and still hope to achieve vision 2030 then we shall have
no option but to outsource.
We are so grateful for your time Sir, now to conclude, what
is your parting shot to the Engineering Students??
You are lucky to have chosen engineering. All you have to do is Train
and Excel. Put your best effort to give you a good employment. There
is a lot of potential but you must come out as the best. Engineering is
a rewarding as well as a satisfying career. I have to say I have enjoyed
all that I have done. It is challenging however and you must know that
that is what spices life.
///// INTERVIEW INTERVIEW \\\\\
///// ESA ESA \\\\\
AAK career day General Electric career fair
by Cynthia Mukabana
by Evans Kimutai Chelal
O
ver a hundred students from the
School of Engineering stepped
away f rom t hei r busy cl ass
schedules and projects on 26th
March 2014, to take part in the AAK-Engineers
Chapter Career day hosted by ESA. Eng. Grace
Kagondu (Chair-Engineers Chapter) Eng. Goro,
Eng Ben Nyawade, Eng. Anthony Wahome, Eng.
Nderitu and Eng. Matalanga were the featured
speakers, inspiring students to better their
engineering career while still in school.
The presentations struck a chord with the
students and one had this to say "the talk was
captivating especially on how to network and
eliminate the need to 'tarmac' after graduating.
Engineer Nderitu has made me look at the
Industry in a different perspective."
Eng. Nyawade journeyed the students through
the world of Structural Engineering, and the
importance of taking heed of all that we learn
in class because it is the foundation of the real
thing. This went down well with Nafula Wekesa,
a final year student in Civil engineering, as
she had this to say "I feel encouraged and
determined knowing that the industry needs
engineers, so am not here in vain. To see female
Engineers like eng. Grace, I was inspired to
complete my my race and join the workforce, It
has been done before so nothing is impossible."
It was truly a day to remember with KEVIAN
Ltd facilitating the much awaited cooling break
after the talk. The Students networked with
professionals while sipping down a bottle of
Afya and Mt. Kenyan water after the talk as they
seeked mentors and Internships opportunities.
We wish to thank KEVIAN Ltd for facilitating the
Cooling break.
T
he GE career Fair this year took
pl ace on 21st J une 2014. An
important meeting officiated by ESA
Chairperson, Cynthia Mukabana . In
attendance were students, many of course due
to the profile of the company which graced the
occasion. The meeting was officially opened at
2:45pm.
Graci ng the occasi on were the General
Electric staff. With their imaginative slogan
"Imagination at Work," seized the moment.
The Meet up was further spiced by the ESA
Patron Prof. Odira and the Chairman Dept. of
Electrical Engineering Dr. Absalom Heywood
Ouma.
General Electric, herein referred to as GE, set
base in Kenya 5 years ago and within the first
three years they undertook a curriculum known
as flag planting. This is basically studying the
environment to know what to invest and where
to invest so as to have a maximal impingement.
Sandra Wajero facilitated a session known
as Destination Africa. Destination Africa
is a platform that creates opportunities to
thousands of Africans as they bring together
the best and brightest individuals to help create
a better future for the continent. It does give
you a feel of what Africa is made of, its potential,
where it came from and where it is heading to
- making this a great career destination. To put
it simply, it is promoting Africa for Africans.
So what does it take? What is the The gem GE
seeks?
Do your homework: Know what the
company is all about so as to have an
idea what you'll be experiencing.
Network with people: Get to know and
make friendship with those in GE.
P a r t i c i p a t e i n u n i v e r s i t y
competitions- not just for GE but all
other companies. It put you to the
limelight
Alex Kibet, who is now part of the GE staff
participated in the GE universities competition.
He had a project through which electrolysis of
chicken dropping was to produce electricity.
With all ridicule of having to electrolyze chicken
dropping, Alex carried the day. He was offered
an opportunity at GE with immediate effect.
His narration of the life thereafter is left to our
admiration and imagination as well.
One thing however was resonant- GE can afford
you. It can empower You. All you need is the
Big Mind.
The emphasis at GE is based on ingenuity
and intelligence fused with imagination.
An individual is the content and not the
encapsulation. Your worth is rated as per what
you are not on merits of career choice. There it
is... everybody has a chance.
At GE environmental issues are handled by
trainings to ensure they are compliant with
the Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
regulations as they partner with Shell in the oil
and gas portfolio.
There is need to have an open mind and be ready
to do whatever life throws at us. A fundamental
aspect otherwise known as Flexibility was the
Dean's advice. Development of skills suitable to
the market was also an emphasis that echoed
throughout the speeches.
Conclusively, for those who missed, that was a
Day worth it and a company that you have to
follow up. For with their imagination at Work
comes Prosperity For Posterity.
A section of participants at the AAK career day
A group photo of the participants
IEK \\\\\
I
nsti tuti ons of Engi neers of Kenya
(IEK) decided to engage students in
their activities by organizing for IEK
Engineering Students Competition . This
was intended to encourage members
of Engi neeri ng Student Associ ati ons to
prepare and present meaningful papers and
presentations on subjects related to the various
engineering disciplines. Design Competition
provides a platform for Student Members to
present their solutions to a range of design
problems - from everyday household tasks to
groundbreaking space exploration. Each of the
student is required to design, construct and
operate a prototype meeting the requirements
of eradicating human determined problem
statement. This was organised by the IEK Young
engineers chapter chaired by Engineer Grace
Onyango.
Institution of Engineers of Kenya
Student fair
Students from various universities within
the country presented their papers to IEK on
28th April 2014, among them was Mr. George
Ouma, a fourth year student from University
of Nairobi in the Department of Electrical and
Information Engineering. Mr. George Ouma who
was number one was given a tablet. The top
3 George Ouma, Sally Musonye(UoN), Robert
Giteya (Moi University) were given opportunity
to present during the 21st annual International
Engineers' conference which was held at
Leisure Lodge Resort, Kwale County that started
on May 7 th - 9th 2014.George was declared
the winner of the first ever IEK Engineering
students competition as a result of his Auto-
Run Cellphone innovation which was the most
outstanding innovation designed by a student.
The Auto-Run Cellphone is an innovation that
enables your cellphone to charge itself as you
make phone calls, texting and browsing. The
device uses radiation emitted by the phone,
which it converts into electrical energy and
regulated based on the phone's specifications.
The more you use your phone, the more energy
your battery gets hence it becomes an auto-run
phone. The presentation was graded based on
technical content,
overall presentation and oral and visual
performance. Being that George's presentation
was the best, he was chosen to attend the
World Engineers Summit to be held in Abuja
Nigeria to represent the country in Student
engineering International presentations
from 2-7 November fully sponsored by IEK.
He is going to be handed the sponsorship
at IEK office at Transcom house by the new
I EK chai rman Engi neer Reuben Kosgei .
The same project has also been demonstrated
to H.E the President Uhuru Kenyatta during
the launch of Uwezo Fund. George has also
designed a project based Home Security System
that has been presented and approved by many
dignitaries who saw it during its presentation
including the head of state honorable Uhuru
Kenyatta and cabinet secretaries Joseph
Kaimenyi,Ann Waiguru,Najib Balala during the
launch of Uwezo Fund for Youths and Women
that was held on 8th September 2013.
The same project was presented during the
youth Enterprise trade fair at KICC on 25th to
27th November 2013 organised by the chairman
Evans Gor Semelango and also on 15th annual
IEEE Kenya Engineering competition held on
7th to 8th November at Oshwal Centre where
IEEE President Roberto approved it. George
has also managed to meet Kenya's youngest
billionaire Mr. Heshan Da Silva of Desilva group
at Westlands and demonstrate his auto-run
cellphone to him. currently George is working
on several projects based on innovation to be
released next year when finalizing his studies
in university.
George also has registered a company called
Amuo technologies which will deal with
production of the innovative projects and
own them including handling the Intellectual
properties of the innovations. George has
been invited in several institutions to talk
with people or students and encourage them
top institutions include Technical university,
Kenyatta university, Chandaria innovation and
business Centre, JKUAT, National commission for
science innovation and technology NCST,mobile
planet sponsored by Google,Huawei Kenya,
Kenya Nuclear Board by engineer Collins Juma
and recently he was in Nakuru visiting various
children homes including his sponsors Street
children assistance network of Nakuru SCANN
chaired by Shamsher Gilanis which is sponsored
by cedar foundations and rotary club. Also he
went to Eldoret he managed to visit testimony
faith homes started and managed by John
Green and SOS children's home in Eldoret.

Student Engineer August 2014

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