Youths invent spray booth to help fight Covid-19 crisis
Oliver Musembi
In readiness for the possible re-opening of churches, a group of youths have devised a spray booth to help fight against Covid-19, whose infection figures have continued to soar.
The youngsters from Rev Ngoima PCEA church in Thika, Kiambu county used locally available materials to develop the spraying machine to combat the contagious virus in churches should the government re-open places of worship.
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The machine has the capacity to fumigate an individual’s whole body from head to the feet without necessarily moistening their clothes.
Fitted with sensors and pipes that have 18 nozzles and a motor fixed to a water container filled with a disinfectant, the automated booth machine uses electricity to run. It can also be powered by solar energy.
It works like the public spray booths installed in major cities such as Nairobi and Mombasa.
It senses the entrance of an individual for the spray exercise and immediately stops the sprinkle once the subject passes.
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The six youths led by Erick Ng’ang’a said they came up with the innovation after witnessing the inconvenience Kenyans continue to go through while at public areas such as markets, hospitals, supermarkets and police stations.
“If we get enough money, we would be able to make more spray booths that can be placed at the entrance of all public areas including churches,” Ng’ang’a said adding that they used Sh138,000 to come up with the invention which takes three days to assemble.
Thika Town MP Patrick Wainaina, who paid the group a visit said there was no need for the government to import such machines in future because it has been proved they can be developed and installed locally.
He noted that Kenyans had shown they had the capacity to come up with solutions to problems around them and promised to sponsor the young innovators.
“Our youth should be encouraged to come up with innovative ways to create employment and also solve some of the challenges we are facing as a country.
“For this reason I have made an order for one similar booth which will be installed at the Thika main matatu stage,” he said.
