The Student Engineer 1

NewsAttention! pg. 4

TechnologyThe heartbleed bug pg. 5

Security pg. 6Goal line technology pg. 7

The art of communication pg. 10

FeaturesState of the nation pg. 20

Dubai's power pg. 28The fuel cell technology pg. 31

Powering the future pg. 32The Vactrian pg. 34

Utility mapping pg. 35Towards sustainable energy pg. 38

What powers a modern aircraft carrier? pg. 41Where the wind blows pg. 42

DesignGerman made pg. 16

ESAAAK career day pg. 52

General Electric career fair pg. 53

Social CommentaryAlcoholism and drug abuse pg. 44

It all counts! pg. 45Kenyan universities pg. 46

The inanimate player pg. 47

06.

27.

45.

25.

The Student Engineer 32 The Student Engineer

Editor's Note

Copyright © Student Engineer 2014 Reproduction of any article in part or full without permission from The Engineering Students Association is strictly prohibited.

The Student Engineer

The Student Engineer

@StudentEng

CHAIRLADY'S MESSAGE

Thank 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!

All 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 KimaniManaging Editor - Lewis Sakwa W

Editors - Caleb Juma, Kevin Odongo, David Chege, Vallary OwinoDesign & Layout - Daniel Wakaba Ndung’u

The Student EngineerP.O Box 30197 - 00100, Nairobi KENYA

Tel: +254 722 600 392

Kennedy K imani

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.

The Student Engineer 54 The Student Engineer

///// NEWS

The heartbleed bugAttention!Big brother is listening - The National Intelligent Service (NIS) feud The most dangerous threat to Android yet

TECHNOLOGY \\\\\

by Mwaniki A. Ngari

Anyone 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.

Despicable I would say, the plan to tap

into Kenyan private lives and dig up their

communicat ion seems to be the 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 organisation... even terrorist

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.

The Student Engineer 76 The Student Engineer

Security; ///// TECHNOLOGY

Goal line technologyAre you secure; do you feel secure?

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;

TECHNOLOGY \\\\\

by Kevin Omondi Gor

by Kevin Odongo

One 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.

Goal line technology, sometimes

referred to as Goal Decision System,

is a method used to determine

when the ball has completely

crossed the goal line with the assistance of

electronic devices, hence assisting match

officials award a goal. The technology

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 FIFA world cup, especially

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.

The Student Engineer 9

visitor invitationvisitor invitation

20th – 22nd August 2014KICC, NAIROBI, KENYA

daily 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

East and Central Africa‘s L e a d i n g t r a d e Fa i r for the Security and Protection Industry

Visit us at our stand No

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KENYA SECURITYINDUSTRY ASSOCIATIONTaking Care

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The Student Engineer 1110 The Student Engineer

The Art of Communication///// TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY \\\\\

Health PerspectiveBase stations

You 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 μW

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

The Student Engineer 1312 The Student Engineer

///// 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 size and shape of each cell is

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

stations are needed to allow 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....

Equity Bank , through its wholly

owned mobi le v ir tual network

o p e r a t o r ( M V N O ) s u b s i d i 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 interest ing t imes ahead for the

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 targeting small and medium

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 \\\\\

While 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 already mentioned, the simple 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 ike 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

The Student Engineer 1514 The Student Engineer

///// 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 Py thon Standard L ibrar y is 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...

The Student Engineer 1716 The Student Engineer

///// 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

EnergyState of the Nation

Dubai’s powerThe fuel cell technology

Powering the futureTowards 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) is a German automobile 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

The Student Engineer 2120 The Student Engineer

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

State of the nationWhere do we stand in the energy sector?

by Lewis Sakwa

The 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

The Student Engineer 2322 The Student Engineer

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

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

The Student Engineer 2524 The Student Engineer

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

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

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

The Student Engineer 27

ADVERTORIAL \\\\\

C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K

ICTA President Magazine 2013.12.05.pdf 1 12/5/2013 5:56:59 PM

The ICT Authori ty in par tnership

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 engineering course in 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

The Student Engineer 2928 The Student Engineer

Dubai’s power

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

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 Student Engineer 3130 The Student Engineer

The fuel cell technology///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

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 Kenya’s petroleum industry, which is

heavily pregnant currently.

It'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 futureEconomic priorities and its implications

by Lewis Sakwa

It 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

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

The Student Engineer 3534 The Student Engineer

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

• 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

If you think the 500MW plan 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 mappingby Caleb Juma

This 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

technology that enables companies 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

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Contact:P.O Box 30197,00100 - Nairobi | Tel: +254-020-318262 Ext: 263 | Fax; +254-020-245566

email: pr@uonbi.ac.kewww.uonbi.ac.ke

UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI

Faculties, Schools, Institutesand Centres.

38 The Student Engineer The Student Engineer 39

///// FEATURE FEATURE \\\\\

African 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 energyLong 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

The Student Engineer 4140 The Student Engineer

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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.

The 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 mincemeat of the French in 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 aircraft carrier is the single 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.

42 The Student Engineer The Student Engineer 43

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Where the wind blowsby Agoi Anzweni & Kanyeki Gicheha

Just 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 playerESA

Ngong Wind Power turbines at Ngong Hills

The Student Engineer 4544 The Student Engineer

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Alcoholism and drug abuse in varsitiesby Ken Kimani

Loud Jamaican dance-hall and riddim

music blasts 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

So 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.

The Student Engineer 4746 The Student Engineer

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'We want an engineer who will have financial

skills to enjoy the sweat of his 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 Universitiesby Kevin OdongoWhere did we go wrong?

So 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 playerby John Gachinu

The 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 Estadio do Maracana to Castelao,

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 stadium face lif t was also 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

48 The Student Engineer The Student Engineer 49

///// INTERVIEW INTERVIEW \\\\\

In 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 perspectiveby 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

fiber optic cables mounted at communication port

The Student Engineer 5150 The Student Engineer

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 \\\\\

The Student Engineer 5352 The Student Engineer

///// ESA ESA \\\\\

AAK career day General Electric career fairby Cynthia Mukabana

by Evans Kimutai Chelal

Over a hundred students from the

School of Engineering stepped

away f rom the i r busy c lass

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.

The GE career Fair this year took

p lace on 21s t June 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.

Gracing the occasion 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

54 The Student Engineer The Student Engineer 55

IEK \\\\\

Institutions of Engineers of Kenya

(IEK) decided to engage students in

their activities by organizing for IEK

Engineering Students Competition . This

was intended to encourage members

of Engineering Student Associations 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 KenyaStudent 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

IEK chairman Engineer 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.