UNESCO Institute for Statistics defines Innovation as the practical implementation of ideas that result in the introduction of a new or significantly improved product, and a 24-year-old innovator from Kakiptui village in Belgut Sub-County in Kericho County has lived up to that definition by inventing a first-ever gadget that works similar to an air conditioner.
Meet Brian Kibet, the creator of a uniquely orchestrated air scent conditioner that emits a variety of aromas depending on one’s preference using his own creation of remote control.
The youthful inventor excitedly unveils the gadget for the first time in public exclusively to Kenya News Agency to showcase how it operates in a house setting.
Kibet who is the firstborn in a family of three that consists of two sisters and his mother intimated that the masterpiece he has innovated is a first of its kind worldwide and would not only work efficiently and effectively in a house setting but also in effusing scents inside motor vehicles.
The young innovator who holds a certificate in ICT from the Maasai Technical Training College disclosed that he has been job hunting but his efforts bore no fruits, and that is when he decided to settle at home, helping his mother with farming duties.
“Many times, after farm work, when I entered the house, I always noticed a stale smell of stuffiness and that is when I started to think of a solution of freshening up the air,” said Kibet.
After several months of meditating and researching, he decided to shake up the old technology by generating his first gadget of its kind that was in the trial stage before developing the three other improved prototypes of the same.
The newest model of the gadget which is the fifth generation has a remote control that switches different scents as customized by the operator. A variety of scents are bought by the user and inserted into the gadget and changed by users using the remote control.
“This concept evolved in five different generations. Currently, it is wireless and in the next generation, its operation will be linked to a smart device and users will be able to select scents via their mobile phones,” added Kibet.
He further elucidated that refilling of the four different perfumes compatible with his created air conditioning gadget could last for a period of three months and the remote control could mix them or use them separately depending on the choice of the user.
A spot check by KNA confirmed that indeed the multi-choice air conditioner emitted different fragrances while he changed them using a remote control which he also invented using locally available materials.
“I invented this appliance using locally available materials from worn-out machines like radio players, wood, wires, paint, among others,” Kibet said
Kibet is now hopeful and optimistic that he would receive the necessary support from the government and other interested parties to reproduce his invention and develop a product that could be retailed in both the national and international markets.
“If only I can get support from key innovation stakeholders nationally and internationally, I believe this multi-choice air conditioner can be very useful in vehicles and establishments in the funning of pleasant aroma. I am really appealing for the adoption of my innovation,” stressed Kibet.
The youthful inventor also uses his creative skills in designing wall clock decorations to make a living by selling his art to buyers who request custom-made products which he satisfactorily accomplishes earning him some money to sustain himself and his family.
“I market my creative art mainly through my WhatsApp line which is +254 724 346 559 and from the few earnings I make; I am able to continue with my invention of the multi-choice air scent conditioner,” he said.
Every year, the Kenya National Innovation Agency (KeNIA) organizes the Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) which seeks to showcase the innovativeness of Kenyans under which the national priorities of the Big Four Agenda and Vision 2030 are advanced by championing relevant policy engagements on innovations within institutions while promoting practical skills necessary to create innovations that impact people.
KeNIA is a State Corporation that develops and manages a dynamic national innovation system that facilitates taking ideas to the market and supports the identification, recording, and protection of innovative ideas.
KeNIA also coordinates the establishment and implementation of appropriate policies, standards, processes, infrastructure, and partnerships to nurture innovative ideas as well as working with partners to ensure appropriate prioritization, relevant capacity development, innovation recognition, and publication of the same.
By Kibe Mburu and Jennifer Ambula
