President Uhuru Embracing Innovation, Orders Procurement Of Jua Kali Hospital Beds

President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed the State to procure 500 locally manufactured beds from two youthful Jua Kali innovators. President’s Delivery Unit revealed Uhuru’s order and added that the beds will be inspected by Kenya Bureau Of Standards (KEBS) before being handed over to hospitals around the country.

According to the Head of State, the beds which are innovations by 26-year-old Mungai Gathogo and Joseph Muhinja, 35 will be essential in relieving public hospitals from the pressures of COVID-19 admissions. They had previously been making metallic gates, window grills and doors.

He thus dispatched the Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) Secretary Andrew Wakahiu and Kiambu County Commissioner Wilson Wanyanga to Githunguri to assess the beds and convey the government’s decision. This is a major boost to the two youthful innovators behind locally manufactured hospital beds.

“The beds that are made from locally sourced material from their workshop in Githunguri, Kiambu county, will be subjected to standardization tests by KEBS,” a statement from PDU reads in part.

This comes days after the artisans went viral with their hard work captured on social media trying to make ends meet amid the Coronavirus pandemic that has crippled the economy. Kenyans had called on the government to support the artisan and his colleagues by placing orders for various public hospitals that lack enough hospital beds.

The beds will be a vital aid to public hospitals that are reeling under the pressure of Covid-19-related hospital admissions. The innovation is complete with heavy-duty wheels, a drip stand, table stand for comfort while eating, space for the storage of an oxygen tank and hideaway bed rails.

With Covid-19 cases rising by the day and imported hospital beds proving expensive, the local artisans were determined to avert the crisis by making the beds locally. One such businessman whose work has gone viral was Meshack Otieno based in Juja, Kiambu County.

Back in 2017 the duo made a shot at politics with Gathogo contesting for the Kiambu County Senate seat while Kamau, Gathogo’s friend and business partner in their current venture vied for an MCA seat in Githunguri Subcounty.

Gathongo and Muhinja have made most of the pandemic as they started off by supplying face masks and sanitisers which became a flooded market. Aside from Uhuru’s order, Gathogo and Muhinja have received offers from hospital administrators, medical personnel and county governments with some from as far as Lamu County.

Lat year, the government placed a KES 3billion procurement order with the Jua Kali artisans to produce 100,000 doors and 120,000 windows as local content providers for the Affordable Housing Programme.

The government contracted three Nairobi based Jua Kali Associations (Ngokamka Jua Kali Group) to supply 8,400 windows and 7,000 doors for the flagship project under the Affordable Housing Programme at Park Road.

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