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Im impressed by the feedback
we have got from
our readers, both
the criticism andthe encouragement
are indications of
a general accep-
tance. For the past
one year that the current editorial board
has been in ofce, ranks have been broken
and links created, Norms ignored and new
rules put in place, all to come up with your
current Student Engineer Journal. As we,
the outgoing editorial board, celebrate our
third and nal edition as a sign of how far
the journal has come, the new team hasno alternative but to focus on the future.
The core function of the journal has remained
linkage between the students, lecturers and
the industrialists. The extent by which this
has been achieved is for you the readership to
decide. Its however with much pleasure that
I wish to inform that our efforts have won
us recognition as not only the best student
journal in Eastern Africa but also among the
Editorin ChiEf
best technological journals in the region.
The student engineer was not the only
good thing happening to the school of
engineering. The fabrication laboratory
also landed. Situated at the ground oorof the mechanical engineering depart-
ment until otherwise decided, Fablab is
expected to offer a great practical learn-
ing experience in engineering fabrica-
tion. Read on about it on our feature story.
I extend my heartfelt appreciation to all
those who have made this edition a suc-
cess; our sponsors for their unwavering
support and members of the editorial
board for their hard work and dedica-
tion. Special thanks to Eng. Archie
McCorkindale and nally congratu-lations to our readers, because with-
out you, it would not have happened.
Enjoy the April-June issue of
the Student Engineer.
Eyinda M. SaMuEl
in this issuE
ProfilE
EditorialBoard
nEwS
fEaturE
Editorial
rEgulars
yourSay
EnginEEring woMan
StudEnt activitiES
artS
Pictorial
Send in feedback via [email protected]
Interview With David Svarre The
C.E.O Of Digital Age Institute
Fablab
Microsoft S2B
Nyao Car, Again?
Ericsson Career Day
Pascal Katana - Inventor
Eyinda SaMuEl
Editorin ChiEf
obiko Edward
Managing dirECtor
SaMo obanda
assoCiatE Editor
angEla HiuHu
assoCiatE Editor
ContriButions BY
MaSika HaMiSi gabriEl
HabwE JoSiaH
bEtt rayMond
vayn
graphiC dEsignEr
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A journal of the Engineering Stu-
dents Association
c/o The Dean,
School of Engineering,
University of Nairobi
P.O. Box 30197 Nairobi
Feedback and correspondence
should be addressed to the Edito-
rial Board. Views expressed in this
journal are those of the writers and
do not necessarily reect those of
the association.
To Advertise in The Student
Engineer, contact Alphonce on+254726996696.
The Fablab Is To Hard-
ware What Open Source Is
To Software- Neil Gersh-
eneld, Page 13
copyright Student Engineer 2009
Reproduction of any article inpart or in full is strictly prohibited
without permission from from The
Engineering Sudents Association
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aS i lookbacktotHEHuMblEbEginningSoftHiSMagazinE, i MuStaPPrEciatEandcoMMEndtHEStridEStHatHavEbEEnMadEtowardSbringingabouttHEiMProvEMEntStHatHavEbEEnacHiEvEd. SoMEonEMadEaStatEMEnttotHEEf-
fEcttHat ifyouwanttoHidESoMEtHingfroM kEnyanS, PutitinPrint. tHEiMPlicationoftHiSStatEMEntiStHatMany
kEnyanSdonotrEad! i cannotvoucHfortHEtrutHoftHiSStatEMEnt; HowEvEritiSMydESirEandHoPEtHattHiSMag-
azinEwillcarrySucHarticlEStHatwillinSPirEuStokEEPrEadingit. tHiSiSindEEdaSEriouScHallEngEfortHEEdito-
rialboard, butlookingatwHatHaSbEEndonE, i wouldlikEtobEliEvEtHattHEboardiSuPtotHEJob. i wouldlikEto
SEEiSSuESbrougHtuPintHEMagazinEtHatinSPirE uPcoMingEnginEErS totHinkanddrEaMinnovationandEntErPriSE
aSwEfocuSontHE viSion 2030. lEttHiSMagazinEbEtHEMEdiuMtHrougHwHicHtHEaSPirationSfortHEfuturEcan
bEvEntilatEd; wHoknowS, SoME idEaSMaytakErootandbEarfruitfortHEbEttErMEntoftHElivESofwanancHi.
FromTheDean
TheInbox
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Prof. PattS M. a. odira
Whats up the student engineer? Big up for the good job you have been doing in keeping the students abreast of the industryhappenings. I however wish to take issue with some of your articles. To be particular the article on on Mau Forest and the electric
car in your previous issue. One cant help realizing that this is some bunch of downloaded material from the Internet. My honest
opinion is that you should advise your writers to employ some originality in their writing.
Kelvin Omolo
Mechanical engineering 2nd year.
The excellent job being done by the editorial board of the student engineer journal can not pass unmentioned. I have read your
last two editions and I cant wait to see whats on the pink column of the Engineering woman in your next edition. I suggest that
you go a step further and include female Engineers in your interview section. Keep up the good job!
Victoria Bwatuti
Electrical engineering 4rth year.
I hope your publication is still going strong. Food for thought: How do we use the publication to increase interest in technologyskills among the youth? Hope to read from you.
G.P. Kalerwa, National Council for Science and Technology
I agree that some of the articles you read have partly been phished from the internet. The internet is a vast source of
information through which some of our writers come across this information and interpret it on our journal. We chal-
lenge you to also contribute to the better content to avoid this sort of dilution.
Congratulations the student engineer for being true to the students and always delivering on time your editions of the journal.I however think that your journal does not give a balanced coverage across all the ve departments at the school of engineering.
Massive coverage seems to be awarded to the departments of Electrical and Bio systems while the other departments get not more
than one page. Please look in to that.
Ng'ethe samuel,
Geospatial and Space Technology 5th year.
The issue of balance has bugged us through the last three editions. We wish to call upon the students to help us x thisonce and for all. This is a student journal and 60% of what is published comes from the students. It is your responsibil-
ity as students to send in articles to be featured for your respective departments.
I have been thrilled by the writer of Civil Engineering articles in your last two editions. One gets a feeling that including such anindividual in a policy making position will set things on track for our country. I look forward to his next piece and kudos to the
student engineer journal for providing a platform on which to air these crucial matters.
Ouso J. A.,
Civil Engineering 3rd year.
Thank you for the enquiry Mr. Kalerwa. What we have been doing is highlighting success stories of the few youth
whove gone the technology path. It is our hope and desire that these stories will inspire the youth towards the same
path. We are however open to suggestions from your side.
Send your feedback via [email protected]
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
ned our time, the peo-
ple who generations af-
ter us will remember all
dropped out of school?
Bill Gates, RichardBranson, Mark Zucker-
berg of Facebook fame.
They have redened our
era, but how? More fun-
damentally, why? Why?
Cue Mutula Ki-
lonzo, former Minister
for Nairobi and The Met-
ropolitan Area, talking
in such verbose about
Electric trains and Har-
rods. Cue The Minister
for Energy hosting a one
week Conference asking for ideas to deal with the then Energy
Crisis. Anyone in the know understands that we dont have the ca-
pacity to run an Electric train, but it makes such imagination full
fodder for all the hapless parrots out there waiting to politicize.
We have KEMRI, KARI and a million others but there doesnt
exist A Research and Development Foundation for Engineering,
so what do we do-lets get ideas from the common mwananchi
and create a committee to deal with it. Yippee! As Mutahi Ngu-
nyi once quipped, a camel is a horse created by a committee. All
we need is one man, just one and yet not a man- An institution.
I am heavily reminded by Thoreaus words, any man who
believes he is more right than his neighbor constitutes a majority
of one. Then the question, did you know Adolf Hitler used the
same words to justify killing the Jews. Then in this moment I am
Adolf Hitler, I think I am more right than the Sesame Street char-
acters we have as leaders. I as Adolf Hitler believe that we are just
too lazy to solve our problems. We need a new class of criminals.
We need individuals who are 2050-compliant, individu-
als like the ones behind The Fuel Documentary who ask the ques-
tion, what if you took a 30 storey building in the Nairobi CBD
and instead planted crops in it. What would happen? How can we
apply the concept of freeism thats behind Google and Facebook
to build our country, individuals who understand that globaliza-
tion is not westernization and that in Tokyo, the hedges are tea not
owers. That we need to embrace Nuclear energy as South Africa
did and went Nuclear in 1958. Individuals who dont only blow
hot air up my backside because they will mess up my autopsy!
Sine qua non-I have no alternative. Ive gone through
a whole set of tantrums as I wrote this article, wasting a min-
ute of my time on politics followed by loathing of myself
and the status quo, having to sit as Adolf Hitler for one para-
graph and then nally resigning to my ultimate fate: futil-
ity. The futility that this is Africa and nothing is ever goingto change, and what do they mean by change-exchange one
bald man for another. I give up, maybe and yet sine qua non.
I have no alternative.
SineQuaNonKierkegaard once noted, If you take
paradox away from a thinker, you will get a professor.
So sine qua non.
A new world order is in the ofng, a new world order.
A world where open is the new safety on the trigger,
a world of enlightenment, and a world akin to Delac-
roixs 1830 masterpiece; liberty leading mankind. Step
aside Napoleon, Hello Revolution and yet sine qua non.
The Curious case of Benjamin within me was
awakened when I came across footage of Sarah Palin Miss
Drill Baby Drill, yes the one who held the trigger nger
last year when it came to Energy issues for The Republi-
can Party giving a speech on how Alaska has been affected
by the rush for oil by Blood Hungry Oil Companies, excuse
the non-existent pun. Politics, people is a fools mouthpiece.
Yet, we politic, its the Unofcial National Sport.
Its like cocaine and we are Coca Cola before it was banned,
it spews forth from our every crevice. We live for it, we
need it, and with some really misplaced logic in play we
think that, that is development. Then a new obsession, this
thing called Vision 2030. A vision led by politicians who
believe Globalization is going Western, introduce Harrods
to Nairobi and alas! We are civilized and yet sine qua non.
Immanuel Kant dened enlightenment as mans emergence
from his self-imposed immaturity. Enlightenment, the sore
ingredient missing, the ability to think for ourselves-withouta Western power dangling AID over our heads, the ability
to choose a Political Brass that is able to quit and go home
because we failed you. Im one of those people who have
given up voting in 2012-just the question of which Mon-
key to back has the more-comic-half-of-me in stitches.
Im worried, terribly worried. Do you feel it?
I feel like a stick in the mud awake to the Circus choir
singing from the green grass justjust inches away. I
can feel it. When they speak about change, I dont be-
lieve it. The longest serving opposition to Govern-
ment rule has always been The Universities. Why?
Not because of numbers, not because of the leader-
ship but because of knowledge. An enlightened bunch we
are, way above the lth that is a game played between the
haves and the have-nots. Or were we? They say we are a
product of our time, higher breaths than I would shiver at
that observation-I mean Mahatma Gandhi grew up in a time
of British Oppression but he didnt make that the status quo.
So status quo ante right?
If so then how is it we are still fed on a curriculum that is so
passed by time, time passed us again. Where are the tools to
make it in this World right now? How is it that our Educationsystem feeds into making us appropriate for only the existing
industries? Hello Safaricom, B.A.T, Zain, EABL. In a 3rd
World Country whose next move is dependent on AID, do
you see the fallacy? Why is it that the people who have de-
SaMo
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Newsa Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
EriCsson graduatEs
rECruitMEnt,
Ericsson Kenya held theirrst graduate recruitment fair at the
Sarit Centre expo hall on the 14th of
May 2009. This program being held for
the rst time in Kenya but a regular in
other countries where the company is
well established brought together over
1000 graduating students from dif-
ferent colleges and universities in the
Now that the School of Engi-neering is host to the Make AnythingYoy Want outt the Fab Lab- the rst
major undertaking is going to be one to
is thEfuturE
rEallY
hErE
On the 10thof March 2009,
students of the
University of
Nairobi held a
demonstration
across the Central
Business District in protest of themurders of Oscar Kamau Kingara and
John Paul Oulu (GPO, a student) of the
Oscar Foundation that took place right
in the campus grounds. These murders
are alleged to be linked to the Mungiki
Sect and are also alleged to have been
committed by a unit of the police force.
This among many other extra-judicial
country. The students were educated on
various functional units of the Ericsson
company and later given internship ap-
plication forms. The aim was to recruit
15 graduates to join the company. Theevent was ofcially opened by the Min-
ister for Information and Communica-
tion Hon. Samuel Poghisio, who called
upon other companies in the country to
emulate ericssons example and provide
Jobs for the youth.
killings alleged to have been carried
out by this unit motioned the demon-
strators to chanting the now clarion call
that has been echoed by members of
Civil Society, Ali Must Go!.Major General Hussein Ali is
the Police Commissioner of the
Kenya Police.
They took the opportunity to
also voice their protest on the
several issues that have tainted
the 'Grand Coalition's' gover-
nance of the state.
Contrary to the history of
SONU (Students' Organization of Nai-robi University) demonstrations, this
one was a relatively peaceful protest
save for the few incidents by rogue
demonstrators towards the end of the
march.
We -and I believe
I speak with the
majority of the
student population-
are deeply unsatis-
ed by the actions
of our political
leaders under
whose author-
ity we placed our
beloved country only to be damned by
tales of grand corruption, impunity and
even murder!
construct an Electric Vehicle. For
those of you who missed this, De
Uitvinders(The Inventors Foun-
dation Netherlands) in conjuc-
tion with Development Through
Media (DTM) and the University
of Nairobi, among others, are col-
laborationg in the production of a
Film, The Inventors The African
Race (previously aka The Inventors
come to Africa).
Our task as the University of
Nairobi and more specically as theWAZA Platform in this lm is to see
the actualization of the Electric Vehicle
around which the synopsis of the lm
is based. The School of Mechanical
Engineering some years ago wanted to
nYaYo Car? again?
begin the 'ambitious' pro-ject to convert
to an Electric Vehicle, a 1985 Subaru-
Leone 1800 GLF (donated by a spon-
sor- pictured below).
Although this project never
took off, Dr. K. Gachigi, a Lecturer at
the Faculty, has seen this as a provi-
dential opportunity to jump-start it. As
the Patron of the WAZA Platform, he is
key to facilitating the projects' co-ordi-
nation with The University and also the
wondrous facilities of the new FabLab.
You can follow the progress log on
Edward Obiko's Blog at http://omin-
goobiko.blogspot.com
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Newsa Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
iEK dinnErdanCE
This years IEK annual dinnerdance went down traditionally at the
Intercontinental Hotel with a massivestudent representation from the Univer-
sity of Nairobi, school of engineering.
The event was addressed by among
others the Chairman of the Institution
of Engineers of Kenya, Eng. Francis
Ngokonyo and the Assistant Minister
for Roads, Hon. Lee Kinyanjui. Despite
their massive presence the student fra-
ternity was however left out from the
program. This raised questions on the
connection between student engineers
and the countrys main engineeringbody.
laptop and phonE traCK-
ing dEviCE
A Kenyan company, EastAfrican Data Handlers claims to have
developed software to track a stolen
laptop or mobile phone. The ujanja
tracking technology is installed on a
laptop hard disk or incorporated in a
phone rmware. The new technology
employs GPRS over existing GSMmobile phone service operators. The
lap top tracker is said to indicate the
location of the laptop whenever the
thief connects to the internet. The
phone, on the other side, will notify the
owner (on an alternative line provided
earlier) as soon as the thief changes
their phone no. the information you
get on the alternative line is the new
number inserted in your phone. Several
questions, however, arise such as what
if the chief formatted the hard disk of
the laptop and who pays for the texts
you receive notifying you when a new
line is inserted in your stolen phone.
CarEErtalKs
Student associations steppedup their efforts in the linkage of the stu-
dents to the industry. This was evident
from the increased number of career
talks including two mini career days
in the past year. In December 2008,
EIC(Electronics and ICT Club) orga-
nized the rst ever engineering career
day that featured Jamii Telcom, Comtec
Networks, Power Technics and Stan-
dard Chartered Bank. ESA followedsuit organizing a joint career Talk
session in April 2009 that feature Eng.
Wanjohi and the Business incubate pro-
gram. On various occasions the Dean,
School of Engineering has applauded
these efforts acknowledging them as
a means of keeping the students in the
know.
THE CCK PUBLIC LEC-
TURE ON CONSUMER
EDUCATION
The Electronics and ICTClub on 20th may 2009 hosted
the Communications Commission of
Kenya at the Exhibition Hall (JKML)
for a public lecture on consumer pro-
tection in the ICT industry. The event
was open to the general public and
was attended by among other lectur-
ers, Dr. Gakuru Mucemi the Patron of
the Electronics and ICT Club. Before
the start of the talks, interested personshad a chance to be guided through the
application of internships to Microsoft
partners through the WECA portal.
WHY THE FISHERMAN
WILL THANK THE
STUDENT ENGINEER
Pascal katana, a fourth year student
at the department of electrical and
information engineering developed
an electronic trap that lures sh into
there captivity. The trap employs
amplication; amplifying the sound
made by sh while feeding, and GPRS/
GSM signaling; upon the shing nets
weight reaching a set gure, a signal is
triggered automatically through an em-
bedded mobile phone to a designated
number. This alerts the shermen with
the number indicating the positioning
of the sh.Katana, now popularly known as the
inventor presented the project at the na-
tional scientic conference in Nairobis
KICC.
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EngineerProflea Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
The Japs have an old say-ing, A man is the room he is in.Well,
they never met David Svarre, C.E.O. ofDigital Age institute, co-founder and
Director of Scandinavian Computer
Recruitment. Raison dtre? Read on.
Allow me to digress, theres an
old movie from the early 90s starring
Sean Connery-the epitome of the Bond
Movies and Wesley Snipes, with a huge-
ly Japanese cast. Wesley the resident de-
tective and Sean Connery the detective
brought in by the Japanese Mogul to in-
vestigate a murder in his house. A classic
movie. Hows this relevant you ask and
why am I so Japanese-fascinated you ask?
This is me, walking from
the Alliance Francaise to View Park
Towers, squeezed into an eleva-
tor and out of nervousness or maybe
to calm them, I decide to count the
oors. We stop at the 16th . Im f-
teen minutes late, what an impression!
He walks in: David Svarre.
Easy going, good looking (obviouslyno Sean Connery), with deep-set eyes
an inquisitive natural look and maybe
in a more magical world with bad eye-
sight and rimmed specks he would be
Harry Potter. Now, it wouldnt occur
to you straight off the bat that he has a
First Degree in Electrical Engineering
from Denmark (he is Danish married
to a Kenyan lady) has a second degree
in Technomics, he got into Software at
15 writing programs on his laptop and
has spent his adult life in the softwareindustry. Currently he is C.E.O. of
Digital Age Institute which doubles as
both a B.P.O. (Business Process Out-
sourcing outt) and a college offer-
ing courses in Software Development.
The interview begins; I ask Everyone
here calls you Davie?
D: I believe in equality, whoever you
are...Whether Cleaner or Manager,
fundamentally we are equal and its
that logic that fuels a winning en-
terprise like Digital Age Institute.
S: Philosophical. O.K. Why Ke-
nya? The whole world out
there, why come to Kenya?
D: I rst came to Kenya in 1997, it hap-
pens that in at the turn of the century
Denmark imported expatriates from
Kenya to solve the Y2K crisis in thebanking industry. Why Kenya? Apart
from the fact that Kenya was penned to
be one of the ve countries in Africa
that would be technology hub, there is
the obvious fact that I got married here.
S: I n a 3rd World Country like Ken-
ya, where parts of the country are
famine stricken and we live an a la
tapeworm life-AID. Do you think
its prudent to invest in Software De-
velopment or should we focus more
on the vivid problems around us?
D: The answer to that is simple. Lets
look at the obvious; you have a hand-
set. I have one. Everywhere you look
there is one. Kenya imports millions of
phones every year, that is billions spent
on buying original software. Software on
phones either Samsung Nokia Siemens,
you name it. If on principle we decided toinvest in developing our own software,
Kenya would make more hard currency
and invest it in developing this nation.
S: What do you think of the true Soft-
SaMo
david svarrE
C.E.o.
digital agE insti-
tutE
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ware development level in Kenya, and
are companies excited to use Kenyan
Software development companies too?
D: There are roughly 4000 Software de-velopers in Kenya, only 400 know what
they are doing. We need to change that;
we should have at least 16000 Software
developers who know what they are do-
ing. On the second question, Kenyan
companies are some of our biggest cli-
ents. They appreciate and understand
the need for a cohesive relationship.
S: As a B.P.O. Pre-bre optic cable.
How does this affect your companys
revenue margin?
D: Software development is not heavily
or entirely dependent on speeds or band-
width, our business model is such that
whereas call centers are expensive due
to Satellite connectivity, we dont have
such expenses and it gives us a way
out to focus on earning Hard currency.
S: Tell us about Digital Age the college?
Viscar Industrial Capacity is a unique firm dedicated to ensuring that the Engineering industry has competent staff and operates
efficiently. Through our Graduate Training Program, we are able to bridge the gap between the Engineering learning institutions and
the industry requirements. As a result of this training, graduates are able to focus on their careers, acquire the right entry skills
required by the industry and also have a competitive advantage in job market.
Our staff sourcing service is dedicated to the Engineering industry. We maintain an up to date database of staff with engineering
qualifications and experience. Among others we serve the following industries whose core processes are engineering in nature
Telecommunication
Manufacturing
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Energy
Firms and Employers seeking employees or staff with any Engineering qualifications and experience now have a one stop shop
recruitment firm dedicated for Engineering staff, be it temporary staff for short projects or permanent employment. This service
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with speed.
Professionals & Job seekers who have any Engineering qualification starting from Diploma level upwards, with or without experience
are eligible to join a pool of similar resources in our database. Through our staff sourcing program you have an opportunity to
market your skills, which opens you to many opportunities within the industry. Access our website (www.viscarcapacity.com), go to
Resume upload and create your resume using our e-sourcing programOther services offered by VISCAR for the Engineering Industry:
Career and talent development:-do not gamble with your career, seek advice from your fellow professionals
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Operations management /Consultancy: We offer independent consultancy on Engineering systems based on best practice and your requirements,
devoid of any bias or vested interest.
CALLING ON ENGINEERING GRADUATES, PROFESSIONALS AND ENGINEERING FIRMS
VISCAR INDUSTRIAL CAPACITY LTDTel: 020 2437599 / 0722 667038 / 0735 157462 Email:[email protected] Website: www.viscarcapacity.comImani House, 4th Floor. Parliament Road,
D: Originally, we knew we wanted to set
up a Software Development Center in
Kenya. So in 2004 we did the surveys,
in 2005 we had a location that happenedto be View Park Towers. Strategically,
we were condent. We had envisioned a
World Class center that offered Software
creation at the highest International plane
possible and also coupled as a B.P.O.
S: Successes?
D: Digital Age has come a long way but
the most straight forward indicator of our
successes is our students. Once they have
a certicate from Digital Age the marketcant wait to swallow up our students.
S: Software is ever changing, how do you
keep up, how do you make sure your cur-
riculum is relevant and that your students
are at the fore-front of this information?
D: We monitor new technology al-
ways before implementing a curricu-
lum. We dont teach just because it is
new. Our curriculum is revised on av-
erage annually and often pegged on the
City & Guilds curriculum. Also, in this
Global village, any High Educations
Board has a moral obligation to keepan eye out for new technology, those
that succumb to the inertia of not revis-
ing their curriculum will be severely
punished by an ever googling world.
Digital Age makes sure you get the best.
As I conclude and we fade into
important tips on Entrepreneurship and
Davids well calculated look on life, Im
sucked back into passing realms of that
old movie. Call it bad dj vu, but I feel
like Wesley Snipes listening and learning
from the older wiser and graying SeanConnery. From Davids views of busi-
ness, his tech savvy look and the way
he articulates his ideas. His courtesy, in-
sight, smarts, the respect well aligned in
his voice. Core themes to both the mov-
ie and the Japanese way of life. I sud-
denly remember the name of that movie.
The Rising Sun. It wouldnt be too tacky
to call him The Rising San would it?
(San-Jap for Mr.)
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EngineeringWoman
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Back in primary school, during
my physical education lesson my class teachertook the liberty of teaching us an iota on selfdefense. Then, I rolled my eyes and in my headI was at loss of words What is he trying out?On retrospect, he must have understood theconsequences of lack of defense. If any womanhas not been hit by the latest moving bugcalled independent craze, there is no need toworry. Sources claim its speed of infection ishigher than that of any Kenyan teenager apinga preferred image of an icon in the music orHollywood industry.
On the ip side, its anti-bug needs nodownload or constant upgrading and as a mat-ter of fact its quite easy to come along. Luck-ily for us we have FIDA that ercely combatsthis anti-bug. In law its said that ignorance isno excuse. FIDA has taken the bulls by its hornand laid it all out for the women to compre-hend their rights as well as empowering themon different ways of defense. By FIDA doingso, they changed the perception of sorting dif-ferences through ghting or verbal exchangeof words.
Everyone agrees with me that the statementeducation is the key to success or anything tothat effect is the most repetitive line in anyfamily as we grew up through our education
period. Then again what is knowledge withoutwisdom?
Each Engineering woman is strivingfor independence as we pursue this course. Inthe heart of it all lets not forget what makesus a woman and not the opposite. We need tolearn where not to cross the line in attempt of
proving our independence. Its not sufcient tobe just independent, we are expected to furtherbalance our emotions and make wise decisionsin all that we do.
As we women take Engineering tohigher levels in the future of no collapsingdams, no evolving of potholes minutes afterre-carpeting roads among other aspects, it willtake more than just being called Doctor Pro-fessor Engineer Angela Hiuhu. Let the futureengineering works always have a ner femi-nine touch from us women and regain the lost
public trust.
We women need to work simultane-ously with the men earning respect from them
based on our efforts and merit. Anyone is
angEla HiuHiu
welcome to hold me on this; in the next two going threeyears we will have a re-engineered female version ofBill Gates or better still a relentless Wangari Maathai.You are probably laughing in contempt thinking thatam being an illusionist. I do realize that this will taketime and if you hold your breathe you might choke butI guarantee you of not having a cardiac arrest.
I urge all engineering women to break allboundaries hindering their success and exploit their tal-ents. We should not be easily contented with raw deals.As we take over the Engineering in future making ittrendy to be no longer considered as a course reserved
for the geeks and nerdy, learning its art and producingcraft that blows the public away beyond measures let it
be done wisely.
Nothing is more hilarious than an intellectwoman who is not wise.Lest its forgotten, we Engineering women are movingat a speed of agitated bulls that just spotted a red cloth!
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different materials but also to
invent, design and create whole
machines. One goal of the Fab
Lab is to be able to create an-
other Fab Lab from itself!
Fab labs share core
capabilities so that projects can
be shared across them. This cur-
rently includes:
-A computer-controlled laser-
cutter, for press-t assembly of
3D structures from 2D parts
-A larger (4'x8') numerically-
controlled milling machine, for
making furniture- (and house-)
sized parts
-A signcutter, to produce print-
ing masks, exible circuits, and
antennas-A precision (micron resolution)
milling machine to make three-
dimensional molds and surface-
mount circuit boards
-Programming tools for low-cost
high-speed embedded proces-
sors.
These work with com-
ponents and materials optimized
for use in the eld, and arecontrolled with custom software
for integrated design, manufac-
turing, and project management.
This inventory is continuously
evolving, towards the goal of a
fab lab being able to make a fab
lab.
Fab labs provide wide-
spread access to modern means
for invention. They began as
an outreach project from MIT's
Center for Bits and Atoms
(CBA). CBA assembled mil-
lions of dollars in machines for
research in digital fabrication,
ultimately aiming at develop-
ing programmable molecular
assemblers that will be able to
make almost anything. Fab labs
fall between these extremes,
comprising roughly fty thou-
sand dollars in equipment andmaterials that can be used today
to do what will be possible with
tomorrow's personal fabricators.
Fab labs have spread from
inner-city Boston to rural India,
from South Africa to the North
of Norway, and now Kenya.
Activities in fab labs range from
technological empowerment to
peer-to-peer project-based tech-nical training to local problem-
solving to small-scale high-tech
business incubation to grass-
roots research.
An earlier Princi-
pal Voice, Muhammad Yunus,transformed the economics of
development through micro-
nance, making investment
accessible to grass-roots en-
trepreneurs. Rather than big
businesses arriving top-down
from global corporations or
investors, micronance allows
large numbers of small busi-
nesses to be driven bottom-upby local dreams and demands.
There will not be a better op-
portunity to be at the Faculty
of Engineering, University of
Nairobi, than the one we are
about to realize with the ar-
rival of the much anticipated
Fabrication Laboratory. It is
our chance to literally makealmost anything!
Let me save you the 'pep-
talk' and delve straight into what
you have probably been asking.
What is the Fab Lab?
The Fab Lab is basically
a collection of tools and equip-
ment that leverage the power ofDigital Fabrication Techniques
in the hands of the average inno-
vative mind. They bridge digital
divide that is a gap between
mainstream industrial produc-
tion facilities and the small scale
entrants. Say, for instance, creat-
ing a simple mechanical replace-
ment part for a broken machine
should not cost you the price of
the machine if it were pssible tofabricate a replacement. With the
Fab Lab equipment, it is not only
possible to fabricate parts from
Fab Labarrives...
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
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Projects being developed
and produced in fab labs include
solar and wind-powered tur-
bines, thin-client computers and
wireless data networks, analyti-
cal instrumentation for agri-
culture and healthcare, custom
housing, and rapid-prototypingof rapid-prototyping machines.
Along with sharing tools,
fab labs share rights and respon-
sibilities expressed in the Fab
Charter. The current hardware
specication (~$50k equipment
and ~$10k materials) are freely
available at http://fab.cba.mit.
edu/about/fab/inv.html andsoft-
ware at http://fab.cba.mit.edu/
about/fab/
For assistance with or-
dering, installation, training, and
process and project development
MIT participates in selected part-
nerships. However, to scale sup-
port for these functions fab labs
are increasingly being organized
in regional networks, globallycoordinated by a Fab Foundation
being established in Norway.
Along with the Fab Foundation,
a Fab Fund is being launched to
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Illustration 1: Equipment at Fablab in Uon. Clockwise, Laser Cutter, Vynil Cutter, High Intensity Microwave
Oven and Fab Computers
Illustration 2 Modella, a small scale milling machine
Illustration 3, Lego Electronics Kit for WAZA Outreach Program
provide global access to capi-
tal and markets for businesses
incubated in fab labs, and a Fab
Academy is being accredited
for distributed degree programs
taught in the labs.Launching a new fab lab re-
quires assembling enough of the
hardware and software inven-
tory to be able to share people
and projects with other fab labs,
posting the Fab Charter to pro-
vide context for doing that, and
contacting [email protected].
edu to be added to the fab lab
network.
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
NAME: Neil Gershenfeld
PROFESSION: Director of the Center for Bits and Atoms at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology (MIT)
Professor Neil Gershenfeld is director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at MIT.
CBA pioneered the concept of fab labs: high-tech, low-cost workshops equipped with
the tools to make almost anything.
13
FAB LABS AROUND
THE WORLD
By Mark Jewell, Associated Press
BOSTON When Makeda Ste-
phenson compared ight simu-
lator games sold in computerstores and didn't nd anything
she liked, she didn't stop there.
The 13-year-old used a set of
computer-controlled manufactur-
ing tools at a community center
to make her own simulator
one that lets her "y" an airplane
of her design over an alien planet
born of her imagination.
In a room lled with computers
and tabletop-sized manufactur-
ing equipment, Stephenson cre-
ated a pilot's control yoke with
motion sensors she fashioned
from a melange of old electronic
toys and parts.
A computer program Stephenson
wrote with help from a Mas-
sachusetts Institute of Technol-
ogy students guides the plane's
movements on her computerscreen.
She did it all through a teen
learning program at one of seven
so-called Fabrication Labs that
MIT has established in places as
distant as Norway and Ghana.
Each lab has tool sets that, cost-
ing about $25,000, would be out
of the reach of most edgling
inventors.Advocates of such
"Fab Labs" think they
have the potential
to vastly expand the
creative powers of
tinkerers and usher in
a revolution in do-it-
yourself design and
manufacturing that can empower
even the smallest of communi-
ties.
"If you give people access and
means to solve their own prob-
lems, it touches something very,
very deep," said Neil Gershen-
feld, an MIT physicist and com-puter scientist whose is among
the movement's chief propo-
nents. "Somehow it goes back to
nest-building, or mastering your
own environment.
"There's sort of this deep thing
inside that most people don't
express that comes tumbling out
when they get access to these
tools," he said.Fab Lab output can be practical,
or whimsical.
Herders in northern Norway
erected a telecommunications
network to track their sheep's
wanderings with radio antennas
and electronic tags.
In India, farmers created mea-
surement tools to ensure a safe
milk supply and measure fat
content, and womenfound a way to scan and
print carved wooden
blocks used for a local
kind of embroidery. In a
separate project, villag-
ers designed small LED
lights for use in areas
lacking electricity.
Villagers in Ghana, meanwhile,
harnessed solar power to makeelectricity and cook food rather
than relying on rewood.
On the fanciful front, a teenage
girl in Boston created a diary
security system that photographs
anyone coming near the owner'sprivate writings say, a nosey
brother. And an MIT student cre-
ated something called "Scream-
Body" a backpack-sized
wearable air chamber into which
someone can voice a mufed
scream in a public place. The
scream is recorded for subse-
quent "release" in private.
MIT's Center for Bits and Atomsbegan setting up Fab Labs three
years ago as free community
resources, using part of a $12.5
million National Science Foun-
dation grant and local nancing.
Open-source software and
MIT-written programs control
the devices, machining parts to
tolerances that once could be
achieved only using equipmentcosting hundreds of thousands of
dollars.
Citizen inventors with only
modest technical expertise swap
ideas with counterparts at other
Fab Labs around the world by
electronically sharing design
blueprints or going to a Fab Lab
website that offers project ideas.
"In a sense, this is like open-source software, but for hard-
ware," Gershenfeld said.
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www.s2bprogram.com/weca
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Pic1.Davis&Shirtliff(D&S)GeneralManager,Service,David
BolowithchildrenfromtheKenyayouthforChristinAthiRiver.
KenyaYouthforChristrehabilitatesstreetchildrenandcurrently
theyhave28boys.D&ScommunityAffairsCommitteedonateda
boreholepumptothehome.
Pic3.Davis&Shurtliffs (D&S)SimonWangombewithchildren
fromMaryMagdalenaspecialschoolwhoarephysicallyandmen-
tallydisabledinMunyu,Thika.D&SCommunityAffairsCommittee
donatedaboreholepumptotheschool.
c 4. Davis & Shirtliff Mombasa Sales
anager Linda Wamune with children
om the Association for physically Dis-
led Children of Kenya(APDK) at Port
eitz. Looking on is D&S Staff and the ad-
nistrator of APDK Ms. Leah Mwachira.
od stuffs were donated to the children.
Pic2.Davis&
ShirtliffEldo
ret(D&S)don
ated
foodstuffsand
5,000litrew
atertanktoNe
ema
childrenshom
eanorphanag
eforchildren
with
HIV.Pictured
isD&SEldo
retManagerJ
oyce
Kefa(4thrig
ht)withthec
hildrenandst
affof
Neema.
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GarryKasparov
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Forget about them for a second,now-Fibre optics, bre optics, bre optics.
Everyone is yelling out- bre optics!
I mean, last year both Obama and Mc-
Cain in the Primary Debates equated
availability of Bandwidth in the U.S.
to a right. With such verbose, Id think
it was.
What about satellite, what happens
when bre and satellite go head tohead to feed a continent of new applica-
tions, people and Governments hungry
for bandwidth? Youve seen them, out-
side Campus, around the corner, men in
yellow clad digging up the trenches, yes
- ber optic cables and maybe you have
heard of gestation
satellites. Have you?
So what happens
now, that we are
ready for a full out
war, are you aware
of the benets, ofwhich side to be on
or are you waiting
for an ad. Ill prom-
ise you this, they
are coming a dime a
dozen. So, welcome
to Fibre vs. Satellite.
We know this for a
fact, - after staring
at your e-mail for
the last ve minutes
as you wait for it toload-that the effec-
tive high speed inter-
net service required
for critical business-
es, government and
consumer applications have remained
either unavailable or very expensive.
That Governments aware-
ness of this situation and the per-
ceived commercial attractiveness of
the opportunity to close this gap, has
given rise to the current frenetic ac-
tivity for construction of submarine
bre cables on the continent This is
according to BMI TechKnowledge.
Cost effective communication is spurring
growth in Africa, companies in Kenya,
South Africa, Nigeria and to a lesser ex-
tent Tanzania, are hard at work investing
in the new technology. Lets play some
chess Garry Kasparov (satellite)-the
worlds leading chess player for the last
21 years to-lets call him Vladimir Putin
(Fibre), the new kid on the block. Game?
FIBRES MOVE:
If the hype in the literacy cor-
ridors, the constant talk of B.P.Os and
the question mark in our eyes when Na-
kumatt went 24 hours are anything to
write home about, then the public is ful-
ly aware of the potential of Fibre Optics.
It is common knowledge that Alcatel Lucent has deployed various subma-
rine cables throughout the world, two of
which are in South America and Asia.
It can also be seen that with broadband
in particular, bre is the more popular
solution. Entrepreneurs are making the
decision to replace existing satellite
lines by submarine bres. This is hap-
pening in Islands and small territories
where they are being connected via sub-
marine bre. A case in point is Rwanda.
Why?
Well, since telecom`munication
was previously heavily reliant on expen-
sive satellite systems. Kenyan B.P.O.s
like Kencall were incurring huge expens-
es for having to deal with Satellite com-
munication, downsizing their revenues
and what everyone thought would be a
huge splash in the sea, left a lot of inves-
tors in the red. It is obviously expected
that satellite will change their strategy,
from currently switching African trafc
out of Europe to moving their teleports
to Africa, where their will act as a back-
haul for inter country and rural connec-
tivity, utilizing the submarine cables for
their long - haul international capacity.
SATELLITES MOVE:
Despite this, satellite corpo-
rations do not seem to be fazed by the
potential threat brought on by cables.
This is highly reminiscent of whenRichard Bransons Virgin tried to start
a soft drink Company in Coca Colas
backyard-The US. They had the same
reaction till Virgin started making
some real gains and Coca Cola set up
a SWAT team to deal with them. R.I.P.
Is it the same for the Satellite Cor-
porations or what is their logic?
Satellite Corporations say that although
bre can provide cheaper band width,
its limitations are the same of conven-
tional infrastructure in the rough ter-
rains and deserts of Africa. So whilecable can provide an effective solu-
tion for Africans coastal countries,
it is still unlikely to provide these be-
nets to regions that lie further inland.
Now, lets take the case of International
SaMo
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VladmirPutin
a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Organizations such as those involved
in the raw materials industries for ex-
ample it can be argued that the only
way for them to achieve a seamless and
cost effective ICT application solu-
tion is to use satellite. Only satellite
can reach everywhere, linking the only
exploration site ofce with corporate
HQ on the other side of the world and
corporate petrol stations countrywide
or internationally. Therefore, satellite is
more than essential. More than essential.
According to BMI Techknowledges
study, although countries on the African
west and southern coasts have access to
bre connectivity an estimated 80 per cent
of the continents international voice and
data trafcs is still carried via satellite.
The contribution of the technol-
ogy to carrying IP based applications
trafc is not only limited to parts of the
world, like the African continent, where
there have been long standing limitations
on the availability of bandwidth and ca-
pacity over alternative platforms such as
international bre, it also applies in the
most highly bred market in the world.
Im talking about the United States, one
of the most bred regions and yet home
to the largest population of VSATs.
Why?
Global connectivity is driv-
ing the market and with regard to
VSAT networks it is abut access.The proposed African bre rollout
will not end the VSAT market be-
cause it cannot adequately fulll
the VSAT users aim requirement
point to multipoint connectivity.
Satellite clearly has benets especial-
ly when it comes to remote and rural
connectivity. But bre offers plenty
of bandwidth at a cheaper price. Cansatellite match these offering? Satel-
lite can do literally anything that bre
can but with the availability to pro-
vide it anywhere, on reliable basis
with the best capacity solutions to sup-
port video, network and voice require-
ments. Satellite has offered distance
learning and telemedicine extending
cellular networks into remote areas.
Satellite based communication has
caught up with todays high band width
demands and satellite is now broadband.
IP over DVB is the de facto standard for
broadband communications over satel-
lite and such systems clearly demon-
strate their greatest cost effectiveness
by matching the Asymetrix nature of
internet trafc. Broadband connectivity
via satellite provides for business the en-
tire range of complex and bandwidth
hungry applications with internet back-
bone connections exceeding 45 Mbps.
CHECKMATE?
The vulner-
ability of the technology.
Last year, a ship sailed into a bre optic
cable resulting in the loss of connec-
tion for much of Asia and Africa. This
provides that undersea cables are not
foolproof and also highlights the fact
that we are not quite ready to abandonsatellite completely. It is worth noting
that the deployment of the cables is not
cheap or easy. The installation of un-
dersea cables needs to be well planned
and often classied as a mega proj-
ect. A map of the ocean for where the
cable will be laid is obtained through
surveying work which includes ob-
stacles and activities that might inter-
fere or cause problems to the cables.
Specialized ships carry out the installa-
tion of cables and some even have remote
operated vehicle (ROV) capability suit-
able for deep sea operations. These ships
can lay cables at speeds of about 15kmph
in deep oceans at depths down to 7,000m.
A ZOGS WONG? Neither so-
lution is providing
the perfect answer
as yet. For exam-
ple, while cheaper
bre networks will
lead to the use of
higher band width
applications and
improve connec-
tivity along the
African coast it is
predicted to lead to
higher expectations
from corporate cus-
tomers. It can beexpected as seen
from other coun-
tries like South Af-
rica, that the arrival of bre to a country
often results in an increased demand to
satellite capacity and also signicant
economies growth. This in turn drives
demand for additional satellite services
as businesses expand into the interiors of
the country, where bre has yet to reach.
Now technology giants are nowexperimenting with a combination of the
two technologies more proactively. It
seems that connectivity in Africa has nev-
er been about bre, its actually all about
using the best blend of satellite, wireless
and bre technologies to create secure,
reliable high quality connectivity so-
lutions that give customers a commer-
cial advantage in their choice industry.
Only time will tell if bre will live up to
the expectations but it has not knocked
satellite out of the sky just yet nor is it
likely to anytime soon. Whether Garry
Kasparov will be kicked on his butt or
we will have a new reigning champion
is an issue of time. Time wins this bout.
Talk about relativity. Einstein wins!
s
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
While I agree that Romewas never built in one day its impor-
tant to realize that Rome started oneday. In that line, I could share a lot
on roads on the platform of the Ke-
nya we want. As a critical stimulus
of growth roads in Kenya should be
upgraded. From the few highways
we have (class A roads) we should
create autobahns.
Autobahn is a Germany
word used to refer to what other
countries call expressway. Express-ways are also known as freeways
or motorways. These types of roads
are designed to offer highest level of
service. With these kinds of roads in
Kenya one can work in Nairobi and
join the family for supper in Mom-
basa. This way family members with
non-formal employment can engage
in farming activities in the coun-
tryside without missing their loved
ones.
Trafc mobility is made
easy by this kind of facilities. These
roads are not present in Kenya but
the government is doing a lot to im-
prove existing highways. Thika road
for example, is being expanded into
multi-lane dual carriageway withmulti-grade interchanges to replace
roundabouts.
The case of Germany pres-
ents the best example we can learn
from. Good planning is a necessity
for us to achieve this kind of infra-
structure. The total Autobahn net-
work was at 11,712 km in 2001 and
12,044 km in 2004. This makes the
Autobahn network the world's thirdlargest superhighway system after
the United States and China.
The designThe general rule for design is to provide
for unimpeded, high-speed trafc
ow. Unimproved older segments
aside, most Autobahns feature the
following design elements:
-Two, three, or occasion-
ally four lanes per direction. Lanes
on rural sections are generally 3.75
meters wide except the left lane of
newer three lane segments-- it's 3.5
meters wide. On urban sections, all
lanes are 3.5 meters
wide.
-A landscaped "green"
median 3.5 or 4 meterswide (3 meters in ur-
ban areas).
-A double-sided guard-
rail runs down the
middle. Blinders are
often used on curves.
Some newer sections
have concrete barriers
instead of green medi-
ans.
- Outside emergencyshoulders and long ac-
celeration and decel-
eration lanes.
- Full grade-separa-
tion and access con-
trol, generally provid-
ed by half cloverleaf
interchanges at exits
and full clover leafs or directional
interchanges at Autobahn crossings.
Interchanges are generally well
spaced, sometimes exceeding 30 km
between.
-Grades of 4% or less. Climbing
lanes are provided on most steep
grades.
-Gentle and well-banked curves.
-Freeze-resistant concrete or bitumi-
nous surface.
-Roadbed and surface measuring
about 68 cm (27 inches) in thick-
ness.
-Frequent parking areas, oftenequipped with toilet facilities.
-Extensive and ample service areas
featuring lling stations, restaurants,
and hotels.
-Automated trafc and weather
monitoring and electronic signs pro-
viding dynamic speed limits and/or
advance warning of congestion, ac-
cidents, construction, and fog.
-Emergency telephones at 2 km in-
tervals.-Wildlife protection fencing, cross-
over tunnels and "green bridges".
HaMiSi gabriElRome
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
Trafc regulations
-Bicycles, mopeds, and pe-destrians are specically prohibited
from using the Autobahn, as are
any other vehicles with a maximum
speed rating of less than 60 km/h (36
mph).
-Passing on the right is strictly pro-
hibited! Slower vehicles must move
to the right to allow faster trafc to
pass, and drivers should stay in the
right lane except to pass. You are,
however, allowed to pass on the
right in heavy trafc when vehicles
have started queuing, but only at a
slow speed.
-Stopping, parking, U-turns, and
backing-up are strictly verboten, in-
cluding on shoulders and ramps (ex-
cept for emergencies, of course.)
-Entering and exiting is per-
mitted only at marked inter-changes.
- Trafc entering the
autobahn must yield to trafc
already on the autobahn.
-During trafc jams, motor-
ists in the left lane are re-
quired to move as far to the
left as possible and those in
the adjacent center or right
lane must move as far to the
right in their lane as possible,thus creating a gap between
the lanes for emergency ve-
hicles to pass through.
-If you have a breakdown
or accident, you must move to the
shoulder if possible and place a
warning triangle 200 meters behind
the scene. You must report the in-
cident to the authorities using the
nearest emergency phone.
-It is illegal to run out of fuel on the
Autobahn because such an occur-
rence is deemed to be preventable.
AdvantagesSome of the benets that are
accrued from these roads include:
-Due to the improved mobility, driv-
ers can cover long distances without
fatigue
-Reduced Journey times and costs
-Good maintenance reduces vehicle
damages
-Reduced damage to the road pave-
ment by vehicles due to high speeds
-Tourism attraction for people
who would enjoy spinning at good
speeds.
However these roads have got their
disadvantages
-Increased speeds will increase acci-
dents in a country like Kenya where
drivers are not satisfactorily trained.
In Germany these instances are re-
markably low due to extensive train-
ing and re-training of drivers.
-High construction and maintenance
costs
In Germany it is hard to tell which
came rst between good cars and
good roads. Germany prides itself
for producing high quality vehicles
in the world. The Mercedes, Volk-
swagen, BMW and the likes needs
good roads. This has earned her
fame worldwide with tourists troop-
ing in to enjoy free-ow driving. In
Kenya we drive and pride ourselvesin anything we can afford. I am
made to believe that by the time we
manage to build these autobahns we
shall have commenced producing
our own cars. The Nyayo car spirit,
now under the Numerical Machines
is far from dying. We shall come up
with perhaps the best makes in the
world with good barabaras.
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
E.S.A.MESSagE froM tHE cHairMan.
As in the manufacture and maturity of wine,time is always the best healer and at all times denes the crown
and crest of any activity undertaken. Engineers have always
been known to be the people who walk the talk. This in effect
makes us precise logical thinkers in all areas we indulge our-
selves in both physically and mentally with everything geared
to nding solutions.
The last one year of my administration in one scope can
be characterized by solely making objectives a reality. The essence of having a per-
fectly working machine is at all times having each single component of the machine in
top notch condition as anyone would agree a chain is just as strong as its weakest link.From career talks, exchange programs, study tours to the journal, invaluable effort has
been put to make them a reality. The quest, thirst and never ending pursuit for knowl-
edge and venturing into the unknown will never be a walk in the park but always a strug-
gle where only the t will live to see dawn. My advice to student engineers is keep t.
My appreciation goes to all those who joined hands during my administration. I would
wish to send my strongest gratitude to the editorial board for making this journal a suc-
cess, Eng. McCorkindale for his continual assistance. Id also like to thank Prof. B.N.K
Njoroge :the principal College of Architecture and Engineering, Prof Odira :Dean School
of Engineering, the entire outgoing ESA secretariat, Mrs. Hannah Mukuah Senior admin-
istrator School of Engineering and not to forget Mrs. Mumera for her unwavering support.
Finally I heart-fully extend my gratitude and utter respect to the Engineering Students for
having faith in me and allowing me to serve them. God bless you all in your endeavors.
ENGINEERING STUDENTS AS-
SOCIATION
With its main aim being linkage ofthe students to the industrialists, the
outgoing ESA executive employed a
different way of carrying out its busi-
ness. With the increasing attempt to
incorporate the students in the run-
ning of the association affairs ESA
brought on board all the departmental
associations at the school of engineer-ing. This includes the Environmental
and bio-systems engineering students'
associations(EBESA), Association of
Civil Engineering Students(ACES),
Association of students in Electrical
and Electronics Engineering(ASEEE),
Students Association of Mechani-
cal Engineering(SAME) and the
Geo-spatial Engineering Students
Association(GESA). ESA also had
a close working relations with the
Electronics and ICT Club(EIC) of theuniversity of Nairobi whose major-
ity members are students undertaking
Electrical and information engineering
at the school of engineering.
THE ELECTRONICS AND ICT
CLUB(EIC)
Initially for students at the departmentof electrical and information engineer-
ing, university of Nairobi, EIC has
opened up its membership to all inter-
ested individuals. The clubs outreach to
students has been boosted by its func-
tional mailing list through which mem-
bers get updates. Membership to this
club is free of charge. All one has to dois to send an e-mail to electronicsict@
ymail.com with relevant details I.e full
names, daytime phone contacts, course
undertaking and registration number.
Largely accredited for actualizing the
rst ever Engineering career day at the
university of Nairobi in 2008, the club
plans an even bigger event on Thursday
10th December 2009. The club has also
opened talks with the management of
Digital Age Institute with an aim of
facilitating software development train-ing for her membership.
EBESA
In the previous Issue of the StudentEngineer, I wrote about the department
getting twenty new branded computers
from two companies. With a sigh I beg
for temporary amnesia because it never
was and as the students hope turns to
frail, we only pray and hope that its
just a matter of time.
In the meanwhile, the department has
organized a clean up of the Nairobiriver and everyone is invited. Although
the date is vague the ofcials of EBE-
SA have directed all efforts in actual-
izing the idea. I love the gesture of the
department but to what end? Its just
a matter of time before the river gets
back to its old self. The environment
has proved that its not to be ignored
and rarely forgives. Unless we show
some sensitivity to the earth and treat it
as it own we will remain forever bound
to outstretching hands for aid.The unfolding of Environmental and
Bio systems Engineering is set to take
place soon. All will be laid bare as
the students get to ask any questions
pertaining to the course. Its meant to
Esa EXECutivE 2008-2009
cHairMan
obonyo cEdric
vicE cHairMan
iSMaEl bEtt
SEcrEtary gEnEral
Mbai MucHiri
trEaSury
lilian kaManJa
Publicity SEcrEtary
nyakiongora gEorgE
acadEMic affairS
nJuguna JaMES
vicE acadEMic affairS SEc.
abira nancy
Social affairS
EStHErndEti
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thE CataloguE
DATE: 11TH OCTOBER 2008
New members trip to hells gate, mainly newly
joined rst years
Organized by ESA
DATE: 10TH DECEMBER 2008
Engineering Career Day, SPEAKERS:-
Mr. Daniel Kibe, Comtec services Limited,
Mr. John Kamau, Jamii Telcom Limited,
Mr. Geoffrey Githinji, Standard Chartered Bank,
Mr. Nanji Dhitar, Power Technics Company
Limited.
At the CELT
Organized by EIC
DATE 23RD JANUARY 2009Career Talk- Mr. Benson Muiru, SITA.
AW201
Organized by EIC
DATE: 26TH 30TH JANUARY 2009
Hosting visiting students from Makerere univer-
sity,
Interactive session held at the nuclear science
board room.
ESA
DATE: 28th MARCH 2009,
Imagine cup presentation by Edward Obiko
10.30AM- 12.00PM
Organised by MSP
DATE: 10TH APRIL 2009
ROBOTICS WORKSHOP
Speaker; Mr. Wilfred Mworia of Microsoft,
4.00PM-6.00PM
CB232
Organized by MSP & EIC
DATE: 15TH -17TH April 2009
Exchange program to Makerere university,ESA
DATE; 29TH APRIL 2009,
JOINT CAREER TALK(four speakers)
2.00-5.30PM
CELT
ESA
DATE: 20TH MAY 2009
Public lecture on consumer education by CCK
2.00-5.00PM
EXHIBITION HALL (JKML)EIC
EIC- Electronics and ICT Club, ESA Engi-
neering Students Association, MSP- Microsoft
Student Partnership
be an interactive session with
the students, lectures and
professionals in a conducive
environment. On a different
note we recognize the re-ap-
pointment of the EBE chair-
man we look forward to more
achievements than his previ-
ous regime.
studEnts havE thEirsaY
Who does not loveMicrosofts dening OS, win-
dows 7? In Windows 7, users
can control what programs put
icons in the "tray". Windows
7 also revises Vista's, User
Account Control feature. It
allows the user to select fourlevels of system oversight,
with the default bringing
up this continue-or-cancel
dialog when programs try to
change Windows settings but
not when you do the same
yourself. Music and video
playback in Windows 7 seems
to borrow a little more from
Apple: Its Windows Media
Player 12 program presents
music libraries shared on oth-
er copies of WMP on the same
local network, and a "Play To"
command sends an item to
another device on thesame network. Another Win-
dows 7 component, the "de-
vice stage" module, aims to
improve working with devices
like phones. When they're up-
dated to provide the right data
to the system, Windows 7 will
read their capabilities when
you plug them in, then pres-
ent the appropriate options,
such as offering to sync your
calendars or contacts or copy
over your music. Microsoft
says the version of Windows 7
available now is "feature com-
plete," which means that the
functionality of the OS will
not change much, if at all. PCs
that run Windows Vista shouldbe able to run Windows 7,
avoiding some of the compat-
ibility issues that plagued the
introduction of that operating
system. The minimum system
requirements Microsoft sug-
gests for beta testers include a
1GHz processor, 1GB of main
memory, 16GB of available
disk space, and support forDX9 graphics.BETT RAYMOND
4TH YEAR ELECTRICAL ENGI-
NEERING.
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
2008 was a tricky year for movies. The Hollywood writers had been on strike earlier,the nancial meltdown the world over, but yet one movie stood out for brilliant acting, editing and
technology. The Dark Knight. Based on the dc comic book, director Christopher Nolan brought to
life-a-many-science ction comic book lovers tale of The Joker played by Oscar Award winning
actor for the role, Heath Ledger and Batman played by Christian Bale.
Dark knight is an epic tale of good versus evil in an adopted city called Gotham. A rst
rate script which brought to the fore the all time villain, The Joker.The theme of this movie being
the purpose of disobedience, that we are all schemers in the futile attempt to write the scripts of our
life and The Joker works hard to show us how pathetic our efforts are.
From a psychological point of view, The Dark Knight does what Basic Instinct 2
accomplishes but without an air of sex. It is the basic human tendency pitted against itself from the
opening scene as The Joker robs a bank by himself up to the nal scene in the ght for Gothams
soul.
This movie does what it should; it keeps you on the edge.
The Dark Knight also raised eyebrows in the technology front since M.I.T. and other Colleges around the world tried to come up
in the real world with the gadgets used in the movie. For example, an incredible one is the use of sonar to direct all the phone calls
in the area to a super computer that Batman uses to pin point the jokers whereabouts.
The Batmobile in itself was impressive and the use of the sonar technology also to animate /visualize how many people
are lurking in a dark room with walls was highly impressive.
Its an engineers movie and helps us ask ourselves if it is wrong to be imaginative, to be creative for we are walking into a worldthat requires engineers to be ahead of the pack a la creative .To be The Joker.
Its out on D.V.D.
BACK IN BLACK.
BATMAN RETURNS AND IN TOW THE VILLAIN OF ALL TIME-THE EVIL SADIST BUT
BRILLIANT JOKER AND A WHITE KNIGHT-HARVEY DENT
GRRR!
Meet Cyborg Man. There he is in his slick new suit, hand outstretched. As soon as you shake it you know his name, hisaddress and who he works for. And he's yet to speak. He ushers you to the door of the ofce which unlocks as soon as he touches
the handle. As you enter he lifts the phone, his touch immediately downloading the day's
messages. Smart stuff. And the secret lies in the clothes he is wearing.
For in this remarkable new book Gershenfeld, a director at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, presents a fascinating look at the future of computers, including carrying them
round in jackets and shoes.
It's possible because of fabric circuits powered through the human body. And it gives today
what Arthur C Clarke predicted for the next millennium. Gershenfeld presents an insight of
a wired future that is staggering in its ingenuity.
The paperless newspaper. The book without printed pages that can allow you to read any
volume ever produced, the electronics that enable you to see in all directions as you walk,
sensors that measure bodily functions--and display your condition on a "dashboard of the
body" as you move around. This is the stuff of the 21st Century. The incredible thing is that
it is already here.
Gershfeld maintains we have had the digital revolution, now it's time for the evolution in
which the people not the machines come to the fore. He makes a convincing case.
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aJournaloftHEEnginEEringStudEntSaSSociation,univErSityofnairobi
aruSHa Its really hard to come across a voice that rings reminiscent of true jewels like Ayo and Asa.Hello Arusha.
She is a cabbage: dad is French & Italian; mom is Indian, born in Germany and bred in Paris. In
Arusha-speak, cabbage refers to any child of mixed race and heritage!
Arusha is a journey. A journey brought to life by meeting Vayn, local producer. They met around a sad and
melancholy song: VIDA, an existential hip-hop track that has been played on radios in Kenya and across
the globe, and which you can hear on:
www.reverbnation.com/vayin.
The same song happens to be the soundtrack chosen by a movie company in France called Es-
sentiel.
Meeting Vayn was a turning point for Arusha: with this encounter she understood that songwriting was her
life and hearts desire, a soul-fulllment, she says:
After years of wandering and wondering, I nally found my calling and my direction..
Arusha writes and sings in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. She sings about love in all its manifestations and
shapes, and once in a while, an outburst of anger: against Europes immigration laws (MEDITERRANEE) ,against children hav-
ing to grow up in conict zones (TEARS OF GAZA)
Arusha is currently recording her rst album, Small Lovingan album which will span the globe, from Colombia to
India via Kigali and Nairobi- where she has worked with local artists like Pentamony, Estelle Lannoy of Yunasi and Bizimana
Ntwali(song called NAKUGUNDA) and playing on radios in the U.S., N.Zealand, Spain and Austria-to be released on itunes.
www.myspace.com/arushatopazzini
www.reverbnation.com/arushawww.reverbnation.com/bizi
EnginEEras dEsignErofthE huMan BodY
Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.
One said, ``It was a mechanical engineer. Just look at all the joints.''
Another said, ``No, it was an electrical engineer. The nervous systems many thousands of electrical connections.''
The last said, ``Actually it was a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?''
WifEorMistrEss
An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to spend time with the wife or a mistress. The
architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation for an enduring relationship.
The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because of the passion and mystery he found there. The engineer said, "I like
both." "Both?" Engineer: "Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman,and you can go to the lab and get some work done."
Quoted
Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?
CAPTAIN KIRK
To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.
FOX MULDER
You saw it cross the road with your own eyes! How many more
chickens have to cross before you believe it?
BILL GATES
I have just released eChicken 2003, which will not only cross roads,
but will lay eggs, le your important documents, and balance yourcheckbook - and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChick-
en.
ALBERT EINSTEIN
Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath
the chicken?
COLIN POWELL
Now at the left of the screen, you clearly see the satellite image of the
chicken crossing the road.
SIGMUND FREUD
The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road
reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
VOLTAIRE
I may not agree with what the chicken did, but I will defend to the death
its right to do it.
GRANDPA
In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someonetold us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for
us.
OBIKO
I want to live in a free world where chicken can cross roads without be-
ing questioned about their motives
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introduCingthE BaraCKBErrY
It looks like the National Security Agency added some security software to a BlackBerry phone to satisfy President
Barack Obamas need for his Research in Motion smartphone. This
means Obama can continue emailing routine and personal messages
that will become part of the public record. However, some of the
more fun functions of a smartphone, such as IM and those requir-
ing GPS functionality, wont be available for his use. So far no data
channels appear to be secure enough for Top Secret emails.
An alternative device that was speculated to be the replace-
ment for Obamas BlackBerry is the Sectera Edge, designed by L3
and General Dynamics to act as a classied-information-friendly
replacement for a BlackBerry. However, it only allows for classied
voice calls on any network and data while on a classied network.
Check it out: http://tinyurl.com/2q322l
flip digital vidEo CaMEra rEviEW
For the average internet enthusiast, your social netwoks have become an irresistable pass-time and these can be noth-
ing but boring if not for the capability to share experiences through digital media.
I happened to meet John Kinyanjui of internews.org at a skunkworks meeting who
was showcasing the latest craze in media capturing which is simply called the Flip-
Cam.
There's no doubt that the look of the Flip Digital Video Camera reects itscheap as chips price tag of $180(approx. Ksh. 16,000). The Flip Digital Video Cam-
era measures a tiny 104x54x29m, which really is small enough to t in your pocket.
At 97g we thought it felt too imsy and plasticky for a device that would be capable
of producing good quality clips. However this look certainly doesn't reect well on
the camcorder's capabilities.
There's no complicated setup needed, it's simply a case of sliding the front
cover off and inserting the two AA batteries needed to power the Flip Digital Video
Camera, then you can start shooting. The Flip Digital Video Camera's very few but-
tons are large and responsive despite the pint-sized camcorders dimensions, so we
found the Flip simple and easy to use.
The Flip Digital Video Camera's 2GB internal memory is capable of captur-ing up to one hour of footage at a resolution of 640x480 in MPEG 4 format while the
2x optical zoom is clear and concise.
You can view your video clips on the Flip Digital Video Camera's 1.5in display. Alternatively, you can use
the Flip's integral USB connector that ips' out at the touch of a button. While the USB connector is a great idea and
removes the need for cables, the mechanism seemed imsy and we suspect that it may break quite quickly.
We simply plugged the Flip Digital Video Camera into a USB port and we were then able to view and save
the clips, email them to friends and family, upload them to a web page and even edit them into a movie complete with
soundtrack using the software, which is pre-loaded onto the device.
Colours in the video clips we captured were bright and clear and we found the Flip also lived up to its claims that it ex-
cels in low-light conditions. We love the fact that it automatically turns itself off if left unused for more than a minute, conserving
precious minutes of the Flip Digital Video Camera's 2.5 hour battery life.
The Flip is available in several different colour schemes, and comes bundled with a TV connector cable, wrist strap, carry case
and two AA batteries.
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Pictoriala Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
. Daniel Kibe of Comtec Networks gives a speech during the career day
. David Kiania of Ericsson has a chat with students at the Ericsson Career Day
. Kayamba entertain guests at the IEK Dinner
. EIC(Electronics and ICT club) group photo
. Edward Obiko adresses the press at Microsoft Imagine Cup Launch
. No bwana! we want our money!
. Fun fun and more fun, at the source of river nile jinja
. Dr. Kamau Gachigi and Vincent Musau set up the Fab Computers. Students campaigning for a candidate aboard a Matatu in CBD
0. Drinks at the Kampala Museum.
1. Group photo at makerere university
2. Students follow proceedings during the EIC organized Engineering career day
3. Ingoho does wonders, Mr. Editor-in-Chief, at IEK Dinner
1. 2. 3.
4. 5. 6.
7. 8. 9.
10. 11. 12.
13.
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a Journal of tHE EnginEEring StudEntS aSSociation, univErSity of nairobi
WhatAmericas
HopeMeansToKenya
On a trip to the US in late 2007, I wasrivileged to visit arguably, the worlds capital
city-New York. Pristine. A world apart, liter-
ally from Nairobi. On my return home, I was
asked to describe the essence of New York,
and by extension, the United States. I went in
deep repose hoping to capture that nations en-
irety in a singular anecdote-as that was whatwas required of me. In retrospect, I feel that
my response then was informed more by the
goings-on in my country than the exceptional
experience I had in the land of opportunity.
As a country we were going through
an extremely exciting time. Edgy. Uncertain.
Apprehensive. And I believed then, that we
were on the verge of true Change. And so,
my response as to what I thought the US
meant to me was that it was a place where
here existed harmonic co-existence between
entrepreneurship and politics. The two sontricately intertwined, representing the pos-
ibilities that both could ideally generate.
This particular sentiment was, and
argely remains, apart from my conscious
world view. I did not have much for poli-
ics. Famously refrained as a dirty game,
chose not to relate or involve myself in a
cause that unabashedly described itself as
dirty. And this is the case for many young
people, growing up and seeking to make for
hemselves what their parents didnt for them.
Truth is, though, now as I sit and re-
ect, politics is in our daily lives. It is in the
price of bread and milk that you buy in the
morning, in the determination of policy and
opportunity, in the relations you have with
friends and certainly is on your TV screens
every night-bestowed prime time. Be it world
olitics or Kenyan politics-it is all in our faces.
As a Kenyan, Final Year Student at
he University of Nairobi, I fear for the im-
plications politics will have on my life as I
tep out of the cocoon that is school life. At
his moment in our nations history, more than
any other time, we nd ourselves more polar-
zed along ethno-class lines than ever before.
We are assured
of fairness and
justice in our
dea