Four innovators from Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire and Uganda have been selected for the 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation.
The four innovators were selected from a shortlist of 16 people to compete for the £50,000 Africa Prize in its tenth anniversary year.
They include Esther Kimani from Kenya with the Early Crop Pest and Disease Detection Device; Kevin Maina from Kenya with Eco Tiles; Rory Assandey from Côte d’Ivoire with La Ruche Health; and Martin Tumusiime from Uganda with Yo-Waste.
Their innovations will address recycling in construction, Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools for healthcare and farming, and re-engineered waste collection.
The three runners-up will each receive £15,000, and a £5,000 prize dubbed ‘One to Watch’, will be awarded to one of the remaining shortlisted innovators whose business shows the most potential.
Organized by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the final of the 10th edition of the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation will be held on 13 June 2024 in Nairobi, Kenya.
The awards form part of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s investment of over £1 million to African innovators through grants, prizes and accelerator programme places.
The finalist selection took place following an eight-month training and mentoring programme, during which experts provided tailored, one-on-one support designed to accelerate and strengthen the businesses of each member of the shortlist.
Their training covered business plans, scaling, recruitment, IP protection, sector-specific engineering mentoring, communication, financing and commercialisation.
By Jessel Lartey Therson-Cofie
