Two local artisans are laughing all the way to the bank after their locally manufactured hospital beds caught the eye of the State.
Mungai Gathogo, 26 and Joseph Muhinja, 35 from Githunguri, Kiambu county, have received a Ksh32 million boost for their business after President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered 500 of their beds to increase capacity in public hospitals.
President Kenyatta on Wednesday dispatched the President’s Delivery Unit (PDU) to Githunguri to assess the beds and confirm the viability of the order.
“I have been sent by His Excellency the President to congratulate the young innovators and to confirm the government’s commitment to support local innovations and products by providing a market for our own under the Buy-Kenya-Build-Kenya policy,” said PDU Secretary Andrew Wakahiu.
The beds will be subjected to the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) protocols on their suitability for hospital use.
Mr Wakahiu said the government will also enlist the Numeric Machining Complex to help the budding innovators with equipment and to hasten the production.
The artisans have a month and a half to deliver the beds that go for Ksh65,000, which is Ksh20K less than the cheapest available import.
The innovators said government assistance and Uhuru’s purchase order will boost their production capacity and promised to hire more youth to fulfill the order and meet the growing demand.
They said since their innovation went viral on social media they have sold one bed to a home-care client and employed seven people.
