Is your Idea The Next Big Thing?
You can’t stop an idea whose time has come. So they say. That’s why Business Daily will bring to fruition your ideas through THE NEXT BIG THING™ COMPETITION.
Kelvin Macharia makes a presentation during the Next Big Thing competition’s final session at Southern Sun Hotel in Nairobi on Wednesday evening. The 12 best ideas were presented to investors for financial backing.
By MUGAMBI MUTEGI pmutegi@ke.nationmedia.com
Twelve entrepreneurs participating in “The Next Big Thing” competition organized by the Business Daily (Nation Media) have showcased their ideas to potential investors and venture capitalists as the first leg of the competition came to a close this week.
The successful candidates were picked from a pool of over 3,200 applicants and were later given the task of convincing business executives, venture capitalist and other potential investors about the financial viability of there ideas.
One of the finalists was Kelvin Macharia Kuria
Business of killing insects organically
Recent dramatic occurrences in the weather patterns have clearly defined climate change and the impact it is likely to have on humanity if no action is taken.
It has the potential to wipe out humanity or change the way of living in a process that could take only a few years to become reality.
Over the past two decades, trillions of shillings have been invested in initiatives that aim at forestalling what has been termed as the greatest threat to humanity. Kelvin Macharia may not have known it but when in 2008, while still in high school, he decided to experiment on mixing extract from shrubs to keep ants Out of the family home, he effectively joined the movement against climate Change.
Today, the 21-year-old Macharia a student of Biology at the University of Nairobi is still building on his organic pesticide idea that works by paralyzing the nervous system of crawling insects and then killing them.
The selling point of the innovation is that it does not contain any synthetic chemicals and is therefore environment friendly;
Using his product therefore means that households will avoid pesticides that are made of synthetic chemicals and release gasses that trip heat in the atmosphere, Often called green house gases. This heat is what is causing change in global temperature hence climate change. Mr. Macharia’s organic pesticide innovation is part of the many weapons that humanity has been preparing against climate change and if scaled up, can make an easy and extremely powerful business case.
“All I am looking for is an investor I can partner to scale tip this products and increase its efficacy” said Mr. Macharia, one of the finalist in the business daily organized The Next Big Tiling™ Competition. The making of his invention, “ALOEMEXHOT" started one evening when ants invaded his dormitory in 2008 causing inconvenience to the students. He saw the invasion as an opportunity to look for a solution to the menace that was a frequent occurrence in the dormitories in 2008 causing inconveniences to the students. He saw the invasion as an opportunity to look for a solution to the menace that was a frequent occurrence in the dormitories of Nakuru High School. The pesticide is made from extracts of three plants that he keeps secret to avoid theft of his idea. The financing that Mr. Macharia is looking for should help him execute a laboratory identification exercise and profiting of the chemical component of the pesticide. That should make it easier to optimize the efficacy of the pesticide and give its buyers get value for money.
Mr. Macharia is also looking for an investor to help in the mass production and marketing of the product.
"So far I have not had interest from investors but lots of interest from the government agencies,” he said in an interview. Investors can take up the present it as a climate mitigation project, which will give the product a competitive edge especially because it is purely Organic.
Soul inventor: Kelvin Macharia Kuria.
Contacts +254724173453
THE SECRET BEHIND INSECTS MENACE! (ALOEMEXHOT)
When hundreds of students were busy planing and executing strikes in their schools in the academic year 2008. One student in Nakuru was burning midnight oil but on a different mission. The students saw their action as “heroic” after they razed down investments worth millions of shillings. This was one of the worst secondary school unrest that shook the country and threw the entire education sector into disarray.But for 17years-old kelvin Macharia Kuria , his efforts saw him emerge a true hero when his Biology exhibit
during the national science congress in Embu, led to the birth of a home-made insecticide which has baffled both scientist and manufacturers of insecticides.
The wondered concoction code named “ALOEMEXHOT” catapulted Kelvin into fame three months later after the national science congress held at Kangaru Girls’ high school in Embu town. Unlike his counterparts in other schools, some of whom had landed into jail while others were waiting to be taken to court for their actions. Kelvin brought a lot of glory to his school, Nakuru Boys’ a national high school in Rift valley. The school witnessed a huge influx of visitors from various part of the country due to his invention.
His wonder insecticide proved to be an instant killer of the irritant insects like ants and cockroaches which are permanent residents of most of the house holds in the whole country.
It all started one evening when ants invaded his dormitory early the year 2008 causing a lot of anxiety and confusion to the students who saw the insects as unwanted guests. Many of the boy never had a thought of how to end the menace which was disrupting their studies forcing them to wake up in the middle of the night so that to chase away the insects.
However Kelvin saw the invasion as an opportunity to look for better option to tackle the problem which was now becoming unbearable to most of the students. “The ants were so irritating and an eyesore in our dormitory and when one night they made their usual routine invasion. I decided enough was enough, i had to do something,” says Kelvin.
Kelvin started studying local plants and in the process invented a concoction made from locally available plants that are environmentally friendly it wiped out the insects from the school vicinity completely.
His brilliant idea has seen the managing director of Kenya industrial property institute (KIPI) professor James Otieno Ondek, a senior Patent Examiner in the ministry of industrialization and a top engineer from the same ministry visited the school and had a chart with young boy scientist.
The trio visited the school on the orders of Permanent secretary in charge of the ministry of industrialization, Mr. John Lonyangapuo who was also mesmerized when Kelvin presented his exhibition during the school prize giving day where he was chief guest.
Nakuru Town Mp and Assistant Minister for roads Hon. Lee Kinyanjui also visited kelvins’ school to familiarize him self with the new invention.
Proffessor Ondek says it is encouraging that such a young student has spent his brilliant innovation to deal with the insects invasion in our vicinity. “It is promising to have such a bright student who uses traditional and modern way to conserve the aesthetic value of the vicinity.” Said professor Ondek. At the same time the scholar hailed Kelvins science teacher for molding young minds into great ones by so doing the vision 2030 will become a true reality. The senior Patent right Examiner at the ministry of industrialization, Mr Misati Mboi said his ministry was working closely with Kelvin to patent the project and protect it from unscrupulous traders who only like to forge others’ ideas.
During that year year Nakuru Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show held July, Kelvin was invited by the ministry of Agriculture and was allocated a special stand where hundreds of eager show goers were mesmerized by his invention. Earlier , in an interview with the Daily Nation, Kelvin sayed he first presented his project during the Nakuru district Science Congress where he emerged the best and at the provincials competitions held at Karbanet Boys’ High school he emerged position three and qualified to proceed for nationals.
During the National congress,where more than 1200 students from all over the country showcase their scientific talents, Kelvin scooped position four overall with his Biology exhibit. With the help of school laboratory technician , he was able to collect enough plant and extracted the ingredients. “When the ant invaded the dormitories i applied it and it worked instantly killing them. It was from that time that i proved my research was not in vain.” Says Kelvin.
“I became a celebrity overnight and everybody in school calls me a scientist and this encouraged me to study hard and attain a good grade to enable me to go and sturdy Bio-Chemistry at the University.” Says Kelvin. He sincerely thanks the school principal for challenging and encouraging him to think globally and act locally. He also encouraged students to come up with scientific projects that would be useful in creating job opportunities to millions of unemployed youths who are churned out of institutions of higher learning every year.
Typed exactly as it was in the Nation Newspaper 24th August 2008,
By Kelvin Macharia Kuria
Email: mashkevo@yahoo.com kelvinmachariakuria@yahoo.com
Phone : 0724173453, 0751746034
Besides top government officials who took time to leave their busy schedules in Nairobi to come and have a glimpse of Kelvin’s innovation other visitors have included representatives of a leading insecticide maker in the country.
Ivited
Kelvin first presented the project during the Nakuru district science congress where he emerge top position. At the provincials level he was third and at the national final was position four.
BUG BUSTER GENIUS
FORM THREE GENIUS INVENTS INSECTICIDE MADE FROM LOCAL HERBS, THAT SEND BUZZ THROUGH OUT SCIENCE FRATERNITY
When thousand of students were busy plotting riots in their school earlier this year, one student in Nakuru was burning the midnight oil for a different mission.
For 17-years-old Kelvin Macharia Kuria, his effort saw him emerge a true hero when his biology exhibit led to the birth of a homemade insecticide during the national science congress that was held in Embu.
Kelvin brought a lot of glory to his school, Nakuru Boys High School a national school, which witnessed a huge influx of visitors from various part of the country.
His wonder homemade insecticide proven to be an instant killer of irritating insects like cockroaches, ants and flies. Which are permanent residents in many households in the country.
His brilliant idea made prominent guests-including the managing director of Kenya Industrial Property Institute (KIPI), Professor James Otieno OndeK, a senior patent examiner in the ministry of industrialization and a top engineer from the same ministry –visit the school to have a chart with the young scientist.
Mesmerised
The trio visited the school on the order of Industrialization permanent secretary Professor. John Lonyangapuo who was also mesmerized when Kelvin presented his exhibition during the school prize giving day where the PS was the chief guest.
Nakuru Town MP and assistant minister for roads, Hon Lee Kinyanjui, was also not left behind and he visited the school to familiarize him self with the new invention.
“It is promising to have such a bright student who has used traditional and modern ways of keeping our environment clean,” said Professor Ondek.
The wonder concoction, named ALOEMEXHOT, captured Kelvin to fame, three months after the curtain fell on the science congress at Kangaru Girls High School.
Kelvin was invited by the ministry of agriculture to the Nakuru Agriculture Society of Kenya (ASK) show, and allocated a special stand where hundreds of eager visitors were mesmerized by his invention.
It all started one evening when ants invaded his dormitory early 2008, causing anxiety and confusion. Kelvin saw the invention as an opportunity. He started studying local plants. He blended a mixture of various plants to come up with the concoction that has since wiped out the insects from the school.Kelvin first presented the project during the Nakuru district science congress where he emerge top position. At the provincials level he was third and at the national final was position four.
Typed exactly as it was in the Daily Metro Newspaper 18th August 2008,
By Kelvin Macharia Kuria
Email: mashkevo@yahoo.com kelvinmachariakuria@yahoo.com
Phone : 0724173453
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