Kenya’s Esther Kimani won the 2024 Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation from the Royal Academy of Engineering .
Established in 2014 by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation supports scalable and sustainable engineering solutions to African challenges. After a decade, the Prize alumni now comprise nearly 150 entrepreneurs from 23 countries. These innovators have created over 28,000 jobs and impacted more than 10 million people across the continent.
While commenting on the award, Esther Kimani stated that growing up, her parents would lose up to 40% of their crops each season, deeply affecting their living standards. This innovation aims to empower smallholder farmers, particularly women, to increase their income.
Her innovation, a Solar-powered device is aimed to detect crop pests and diseases swiftly, which can reduce crop losses by up to 30% and increase yields by as much as 40%.The transformative solution targets smallholder farmers in Kenya, who typically lose about 33% of their crops to pests and diseases.
The device employs cutting-edge computer vision algorithms and machine learning to identify crop pests and diseases. It provides real-time alerts within seconds of detection and offers customized intervention advice using SMS.
It also notifies government agricultural officers to engage in broader pest and disease management strategies.
The device costs only $3 per month to lease, an affordable alternative to more traditional, expensive methods like drone surveillance or manual inspections. The product is expected to reach one million farmers in the next five years.
Kimani was awarded £50,000 to develop her innovation further, marking the largest prize amount in the history of the Africa Prize in honour of its 10th anniversary.
In 2022, Esther won YouthADAPT, an initiative sponsored by the African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation under the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP)
During the event, finalists presented their business pitches to an audience of around 700 people.
As part of the competition, three runners-up received £15,000 each: They include,
Eco Tiles by Kevin Maina ,also form Kenya, with his roofing material made from recycled plastic, addressing both plastic pollution and high construction costs.
La Ruche Health by Rory Assandey (Côte d’Ivoire): An AI chatbot, “Kiko,” which provides essential health information and services alongside a digital backend solution for healthcare providers.
Yo-Waste by Martin Tumusiime from Uganda, a mobile app that connects households and businesses to independent waste collection agents for efficient waste management.
Dr Abubakari Zarouk Imoro received the ‘One to Watch’ award, which was voted on by live and online audiences. This award recognises the profound impact of his innovation on waste and biomass valorisation in local communities. Established in 2024 to honour the late Martin Bruce, a Ghanaian alumnus of the Africa Prize, the award comes with a £5,000 prize.