konza city

1September 2012 Student Engineer

KONZA CITY

A Journal of the Engineering Students Association, University of Nairobi SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2012

2 Student Engineer September 2012


CONTENTS

CONTENTS

COVER STORY ‘‘Konza City represents an ambitious vision of

a modern, inclusive and sustainable Kenya. It is poised to showcase the country’s new dynamism and growing prosperity.’’

Tatu City

LAPSSET Corridor

82B Geothermal Plant

The Dreamliner

The Trans Atlantic Tunnel

ALSO INSIDE

Pg 18

Pg 6

Pg 13

Pg 15

Pg 32

Pg 34


MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR - IN- CHIEF

EDITORIAL

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the August 2012 issue of the Student Engineer. My expectation is that this journal will give our young engineers an

academic voice and a venue for discourse that will help us move forward both professionally and academically. Most importantly, as any engineering venture should be towards achieving some development goals, I hope the Student Engineer will inspire our young and budding engineers to be more dedicated so as to achieve the development goals of this country.Kenya as a country has recorded major investments in infrastructure development and generation of energy in the past few years. This is in the quest to achieve the economic blueprint outlined in the Vision 2030 that seeks to make Kenya a medium sized economy by the year 2030. This is because with the economic development targeted, availability of energy is a key factor and as such its

demand is on the exponential increase. Investment in infrastructure is also a core component in any development agenda and that’s why the government has invested heavily and even donors have given generously so as to be able to achieve the laid down goals.This issue of the Student Engineer highlights the ongoing projects that the government of Kenya is undertaking together with the prospects in place. Currently the biggest investment is the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Corridor (LAPSSET) which is a joint venture between the governments of Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan. With a price tag $24.6 billion, it is bound to be the biggest single investment in Africa and experts have the opinion that it will be instrumental in transforming the economies of the three countries.It is also worth noting that generation of electricity has increased by approximately 36% from 1,127 Megawatts (MW) in 2008 to 1533 MW in 2012. This is because of the exploitation of the huge

energy potential in the country. The recently launched geothermal energy project in Ol karia by President Kibaki, for example, will add an additional 280 MW to the national grid and will raise KenGen’s total electricity output by 25%. This is remarkable since the production of more energy will trigger a reduction in energy prices which has the effect of attracting even more investors to the country.I would like to appreciate the devotion of the editorial team towards making this work a success. It takes a lot of hardwork and perseverance to achieve such kind of a masterpiece. Congratulations to all the students who took their time and resources to prepare articles for this publication. I also appreciate our sponsors for the support accorded to us both logistically and financially. Special thanks to the Kenya Engineer editorial team under the stewardship of Eng. McCorkindle and Mr. Booker Omole for their invaluable support and walking with us throughout the preparation process of this publication.To our readers, I am sure you will enjoy yourselves as you read this magazine. Please feel free to communicate with us and drop your feedback as we work together to improve the quality of the magazine even further. The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams - Anna Eleanor Roosevelt

Thank you so much.

Editor-in-Chief - Fredrick Mashanga Kitsao

Managing Editor - Rachael Nyokabi Mwangi

Editor- Tony Mugita Kadiegu

Editor- Nicholas Muchui

Editor- Kennedy Kimani

Editor- Joel Lukhovi

Design & Layout- Alex Ireri

Copyright © Student Engineer 2012Reproduction of any article in part

or full without permission from The Engineering Students Association is

strictly prohibited

EDITORIAL BOARD

Contact us at : The Student Engineer The Student Engineer The Student Engineer

Email - [email protected] Tel - +254 729 842 571


T he first issue of the student engineer for the academic y e a r 2 0 1 2 / 2 0 1 3 i s here with us once more. Accordingly, we are delighted

to share with you the creative minds of the engineeers, the latest developments in Kenya in the interest of the engineer reflected in this issues’s theme: Energy and Infrastructure Development.To all the new students in the School of Engineering, we warmly welcome you to the engineers’ family. It is my hope that you will make a difference not just to your life: that being the main reason of coming to this esteemed institution but most importantly, to the lives of those around you as there is no better education than diversity. The only way to learn is to be involved, i pray that you will always rise up to the occasion to create a successful career and be part of a better society by promoting the best practise and developments in engineering.I take this humble opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have made it all a success. First, . I wish to note

the support we have always received from the University Administration through the College Principal, Prof. B.N.K Njoroge, our patron who is also the dean School of Engineering Prof. Patts Odira and the notable guidance of Prof. S.K. Mwea, the Assistant dean of students Mrs. Mumera, propositions and recommendations by Prof. Mwangi Mbuthia and other members of staff within the School of Engineering.Thank you to the editorial committee through the leadership of the editor-in- chief, Fredrick Mashanga. You have given us something to always look forward to with anticipation, a source of information and entertainment.

Finally, to the Executive committee:1. Sally L. Musonye – Chairlady2. Lekura B. Morintat – Vice-Chairman3. Bob N. Odhiambo – Secretary General4. Catherine Mbinya – Financial Sec5. Nancy J. Ogechi - Academic Affairs Secretary6. Nyagaki Gichia – Vice - Academic Affairs Secretary7. Samson K.Keter – Publicity Secretary

8. Austine O. Otoyi – Social Affairs Secretary9. Anthony Watare Mumenya – Mechanical Representative10. Sylvia B. Makario - Geospatial Representative11. Fredrick Wanjala - Environmental and Biosystems Representative

As the chairperson, I have a vision to better the association by seeking to increase our fellowships and interactions by creating forums and platforms where we can meet more often and discuss issues of concern regarding our welfare. It is with this in mind that i welcome us all to contact us, make contributions and give feedback at:Website: www.uonbi.ac.ke/student_orgs/esa. Email: [email protected] Facebook : Engineer ing Students Association (ESA)University of Nairobi

Progress is the activity of today and the assurance of tomorrow: Enjoy your reading!

CHAIRPERSON’S MESSAGE

ESA


TATU CITY.Imagine a highly suburbanized

environment with comfortable climatic conditions and fine views filled with intimate public spaces and not only beautiful but effective,

street lighting that creates pleasant facades by mixing various types of buildings providing a most interesting streetscape. A place with a clear structure in the pedestrian system that connects important destinations within the city but at the same time provides comfortable conditions for people with disabilities and still has enough room and consideration for a premium mass transit system that is socially and environmentally sustainable within its limits. A lively, diverse and pro-family sort of environment that attracts diverse people from far away places and brings together a wide array of ideas, interests and backgrounds. An environment with a vibrant nightlife, a respectable art and culinary scene, good schools, religious institutions and still happens to be a major financial centre with a very pro-business climate that provides for rapid access to an international airport and

still has the sense to accommodate a number of working farms adjacent to the city limits.Studies have shown that there are an estimated 2.5 million slum dwellers in the city of Nairobi who account for 60% of the city’s population and by the year 2050 ,the general population of Nairobi will have grown by approximately 80% thus bringing us back to the reality that there is not enough serviced land within the city to build on hence the lack of affordable houses for the middle and lower classes to buy , that coupled with the fact that we have a relatively young country where more than 70% of the population is below the age of 30 and the general rate of household formation is very high, and as the economy continues to grow the per-capita income continues to increase and the overall demand for housing is only going to grow further.That is why one of the most effective and sustainable solutions to overcrowding in the urban setting is to try and relieve the pressure on urban centers by the creation of satellite city environments just a few kilometers away from the metropolis

with special development corridors and a tremendous highway system to connect them because how an urban environment is planned, designed and constructed greatly influences how we live, get around, behave and interact.Enter Tatu City, the first holistic lifestyle city planned in Africa that is aimed at creating a world class mixed use, mixed income environment that will be home to an estimated 70,000 residents and will attract 30,000 day visitors, the city intends to attract discerning residents, companies and retailers who wish to live work and play in the most modern, well planned urban development in East Africa. Located within the greater Nairobi just off the ultra-modern Thika Highway, situated only 25 kilometers from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on the new Eastern by-pass. This development hopes to result in the creation of a new decentralized urban centre to the North of Nairobi that will provide homes and jobs for thousands of Kenyans and unparalleled economic and business opportunities.

By Tony Mugita Kadiegu

TATU CITY


The development will cost about 350 billion and is underwritten with the backing of Moscow based Renaissance Group, the world’s leading emerging market investment firm. It also has the full support of the Kenyan government, conforming to the Nairobi Metropolitan Vision 2030 and the Kenya vision 2030.

DESIGN.One of the most interesting parts of our jobs as Engineers, Planners and Designers is that we often get the rare opportunity to look into the future and not to base our creations on any standard frame of reference that exists; we have the task of creating not based on what has happened but what is going to happen.Judging by the visible results coming from the direction being taken by many of the country’s developers it has become quite obvious that it won’t suffice to just buy land and build houses as is often the case, urban development will need to focus on providing a new experience for a diverse spectrum of urban residents both rich and poor through decentralized planning and

the application of world class urban design principles of feasibility, functionality, sustainability and desirability to ensure optimal use of land and the creation of a modern and expertly planned city.Tatu City will provide a comprehensive mix of land uses to cater for all the needs of its residents and visitor’s, these include residential developments, retail, commercial, tourism, social facilities, recreational facilities and a convenient walking district. From public open space systems and activity streets to civic squares, residential areas, retail centers, offices and business parks, this coordinated development allows for the free flow of traffic as well as pedestrian prioritized routes and dedicated cycle lanes.The city also intends to feature a world class support infrastructure incorporating paved roads and walkways, consistent water supply and world class sanitation and solid waste disposal system and most of all consistent and reliable power supply in contrast to Nairobi. All this proudly designed and guided by Kenyans for Kenyans.

The infrastructure choices a city makes hugely shape how we function and that is why the planners and designers chose to make the city a very convenient place to get around without a car, such that there are more people on the sidewalks and businesses can thrive from the walking traffic without the need for parking. Homebuyers would be willing to pay a premium for homes that have higher than average walk-scores (refers to how many destinations are within a walking distance to where you live) and an even higher premium if they’re in a city with a good transit systemOne of the other highlights of Tatu City is the fact that it has planned for the creation of mixed income neighborhoods inter-mingl ing some commercial , residential and civic functions in the same neighborhood thus generally reducing the dependence on automotive transport. This also allows the possibility of denser development without necessari ly reducing the living-spaces or even increasing the street space therefore less road infrastructure to build and to maintain and the overall utility infrastructure needs

TATU CITY


of the neighborhood mainly transport, water, sewerage, garbage collection and energy infrastructure is configured more efficiently thus the neighborhood will need less tax money to support its basic functions.The quality of sidewalks in a city is one of the most telling things about the city and in Tatu the sidewalks are dotted with numerous street trees that add to the overall beauty of the city, and they are not only notable for their aesthetic value but the fact that they incorporate public squares which act as thoroughfares for pedestrians more often than not supporting businesses around them further adding to the utilitarian value of the sidewalks and public squares.A s i g n i f i c a n t a m o u n t o f p a r k i n g spaces within the city are either based underground or mid-block to avoid fragmenting the city trying to make room for vast parking lots, this also serves to ease congestion by automobiles within the city centre. The adaptability and versatility of the city’s overall design will be able to accommodate and cope with a large range of uses, changes and a host of unplanned for activities over regular and seasonal cycles. The site where the city is to be built is over 1000 ha (2400 acres) in size and part of the land to be developed is currently a productive coffee farm and coffee production will continue on a further 4000ha during the development of the city, the planners have insisted on

maintaining respect for Tatu’s coffee farming heritage. By protecting the existing, sensitive conservation areas such as rivers, wetlands and open spaces and through careful planning for the recycling of natural resources, Tatu City will ensure sustainable development into the future. Appropriate urban planning systems will be implemented such as solar energy, rain water harvesting and a grey water system to achieve responsible use of the natural resources Another primary goal of Tatu City is job creation and the facilitation of entrepreneurial opportunities with sustainable economic growth high on the planning agenda, that is why the city is poised to attract and retain the best talent in the country because a good skills base is one of the most reliable predictors of economic performance, after that infrastructure and diversification matter most, for in such a competitive world human capital tends to be the variable.

TIMELINE.The development will feature a phased rollout system and will be completed in

10 phases of which each phase will have a detailed precinct plan.Phased rollout: the structural plan uses the existing natural features on the site as a key planning guideline providing a unique natural environment in which the development takes place. Tatu is a nodal development and each node contains distinct facilities including open spaces and public environments interconnected by a public transport system. These natural features including wetlands and river systems cover 37% of the site. Of the remaining 658 hectares of developable land,4% is al¬located for use as the primary urban node(46hecares), 3% to the secondary urban nodes(33hectares), 2% to the business corridor and to the technology park (20-22)hectares each, 1% to activity spines (13hectares), 17% for high density residential areas(176hectares), 2 8 % f o r l o w t o m e d i u m d e n s i t y residential areas(295hectares) and 5% for light industrial, warehousing and infrastructure (53hectares) Phase 1A:Tatu City Central is the initial development phase of Tatu City, it comprises the primary urban node providing a mix of retail ,office, high and medium density residential and social facilities, its approximately 127 hectares in extent(19% of the developable land)

Tatu City is a project to be admired by many not only because of the concepts and propositions presented but the fact that the entire notion is presented as a package, the success of this project could set the stage for the adoption of similar undertakings across the continent on an even larger scale. The city will create thousands of new jobs for Kenyans and will continue creating them as it continues to grow in size and stature.E x c e l l e n t p u b l i c s e r v i c e s a n d infrastructure are essential for a great city to thrive, but a truly great city needs to be a very appealing place to live, it needs to be in a position to attract and retain a large pool of local, national and international talent by providing for the highest possible quality of life because the quality of life is the lifeblood of a great city.

Cities/dense collections of people enable connections and creativity, connections and creativity enable

innovation, innovation enables jobs growth.

- Ed Glaeser, Harvard economist and author of Triumph of the city.

TATU CITY


T h e a d v e n t o f t h e t e c h n o l o g i c a l a g e a n d industrialization as seen in the past century resulted in exponential growth in the

amount of energy required to sustain human activity all around the world. We have come a long way from the Middle Ages when men would huddle around wood fire, then, the primary source of energy, to ward off the cold in the dead of night. We now live in communities filled with automobiles, manufacturing plants and all sorts of inventions that rely on the conversion of energy from one form to another.As such, the search for and utilization of naturally occurring sources of energy is now accepted as an integral part of the human condition. And no energy resource is more sought after than oil. Dubbed by

many as the “liquid black gold”, crude oil can be refined to produce a wide range of useful hydrocarbons such as liquefied petroleum gas, gasoline, diesel and asphalt to mention but a few. Countries lucky enough to possess large oil reserves can sustain their entire economy based solely on revenue earned from the export of oil and oil related products.This is probably why the announcement by president Kibaki about the discovery of oil in southern Turkana was met with such enthusiasm; the potential benefits of this discovery to the people of this region and Kenya’s as a whole could be staggering. However, the discovery of oil in itself is not sufficient to guarantee economic benefits to a nation’s population. Ironically, the high value of this mineral is the very reason why without proper

management it can end up being a curse rather than a blessing.The discovery was made by Tullow Oil Plc, while on an exploratory dig in the Nukukulas area in south Turkana, after drilling to a depth of about 1,000 meters. The oil discovered is said to have similar properties to the light waxy crude discovered recently in neighboring U g a n d a . T o b e t t e r i l l u s t r a t e t h e magnitude of this discovery, consider that in the past year Kenya spent in excess of $4 billion on oil imports. Even without the potential benefits of oil exports, eliminating this amount from our country’s expenditure would go a long way enhancing growth and development. In addition to this, initial estimates indicate the oil reserves are relatively large and could be worth in excess of $ 250 billion, a staggering amount by all accounts.It is worth noting that Kenya is still in the early exploratory stages and it could be several years before any form of exploitation, if any, begins. The initial capital investment on a program of this magnitude is bound to be enormous, not to mention production costs once oil wells are operational. These costs will be influenced to a large degree by the accessibility of the oil reserves. For instance, if the oil reserves are located near the earth’s crust, running costs can be as low as 4-6 dollars a barrel whereas harder to reach reservoirs can cost in excess of 40 dollars a barrel. One can only hope that in Kenya we shall have the former rather than the latter.In all this one thing is clear, if we as a country are to reap the benefits of this natural resource, then the government will have a big role to play. Any further dealings on this discovery must be handled with the highest degree of transparency and adherence to the law to ensure that none of the parties involved feel shortchanged. This is the only surefire way to ensure that Kenya does not fol low in the footsteps of numerous African countries before us who have found themselves faced with war and civil unrest after the discovery of the “liquid black gold”.

TURKANA: DISCOVERY OF THE “LIQUID BLACK GOLD”

By Kevin Aguanda

TURKANA OIL


B ad weather condit ions, increased industrialization and prolonged drought across the country has led to massive power shortages

in Kenya. The subsequent power rationing and the high costs of the little available power have continued to be a thorn in the flesh of potential investors and the general public. However, the government is determined to bringing a lasting solution to this problem-nuclear energy.The government is in the process of developing a viable nuclear energy program within the next 15 years to meet its growing energy demands. In September 2010, Energy Permanent Secretary, Mr. Patrick Nyoike announced that Kenya aims to build a 1,000 MW power station to run on nuclear by 2017 as a less-expensive alternative. The government consequently formed a steering committee lead by the former cabinet minister Ochilo Ayako to coordinate the process. In the meanwhile, the University of Nairobi’s Institute of Nuclear science is gearing up for the phenomenal development.But how does it work? A nuclear reactor works on the principle of nuclear fission

or fusion. In nuclear fission, the atom of a radioactive element disintegrates, releasing energy in form of radiations and heat. In nuclear fusion, two atoms combine to form a bigger atom. However, fusion is difficult to implement and impractical for power generation. Therefore, modern nuclear power stations work on nuclear fission, running on uranium. Heat from the disintegration process is used to generate steam that then turn turbines.Uranium is a highly unstable element that exists as U-238 and U-235.When a U-235 is hit by a neutron, it splits into two, releasing a lot of energy. High concentration of U-235 is highly explosive and is used in the manufacture of bombs, while a high concentration of U-238 which is relatively manageable and is used in power generation stations.Natural uranium (from mines) is about 0.7% U-235, which is the type of uranium that undergoes fission in the reactor. However, this has not been a smooth ride for the government. This ambitious plan has received numerous criticisms from the civil society, the general public and notably, the United Nations Environmental Program, based in Nairobi. The world body advised the

government to pursue renewable and safer sources of energy such as the sun and the geothermal potential in the Rift Valley estimated to be at around 22000 MW. An Israeli company valued the Menengai crater alone to have capacity of 560 MW, and consequently, KenGen is in the process of putting up a 280 MW station by June 2014. The civil society is on the other hand drawing from the experiences in Chernobyl and Japan. In Ukraine, the radiations were felt as far as UK and led to a cumulative death toll of 2500 people, both directly and complications related to exposure to radiation. A tsunami in japan led to explosion of one of its nuclear power plants, leading to heavy losses in lives and property. Many people highly doubt the preparedness of the Kenyan experts to deal with such, in case a calamity strikes.Kenya is not alone in this. As at 2005, nuclear power provided 15% of the world electricity, of which US, France and Japan accounted for over 56% of the world’s nuclear power. As at December 2009, there were 436 reactors across the world. Since the introduction of commercial use of nuclear energy in 1950s, it’s

NUCLEAR ENERGY:SOLUTION FOR KENYA’S ENERGY PROBLEMS?By Nick Muchui

NUCLEAR ENERGY


only in 2008 that no new reactor was added into the electricity grid. China is in the process of constructing reactors to supply 40,000MW into its power-hungry industrial sector. These statistics show that this controversial energy source is in use and is continuing to be embraced by the same powers urging Kenya to desist from it.Over 80% of Kenya population, mainly in the rural areas, does not have access to electricity. They rely on kerosene, wood and small solar panels. However, since the introduction of rural electrification, many more rural customers have been connected to the national grid. Kenya produces just about 1,500MW of electricity, and hence this puts a limit on how many more Kenyans can be connected. Over 80% of Kenyan electric power is produced from hydro stations, with the biggest-Gitaru- channeling 220MW. High growth rate in manufacturing and related industries and the ambitious vision 2030 put the energy demand at 15,000 MW by 2030, ten

times more than what we produce today. Nuclear power plants have high capital costs for setting up, but low fuel cost. To put up a power plant using the South Korean technology would cost US$ 3.5 billion or 302.75 billion shillings in the initial phase. After the plant has completed its life it has to be decommissioned. After a cooling-off period that may last up to a century, the reactors are cut into pieces and packed ready for final disposal. The cost of decommissioning a plant is approximately 50% of the initial cost of putting up the reactor. It is estimated that the cost ranges from US$ 300 million to up to US$ 5.6 billion depending on the size and the condition. Ones that have experienced breakdowns or meltdowns are the most expensive. In the United States, 13 reactors have been shut down and are in the process of decommissioning.Whether or not these costs are justified in the Kenyan case is debatable. The government spends a lot of money in importation of electricity and fuel to run

diesel generators, the losses incurred from power shortages notwithstanding. 10% of Kenyan imports are energy related, of which a substantial amount is directly related to electricity generation. Recently, the ministry of energy entered into an agreement with the Ethiopian government to get 400MW up to 2016 at a cost of 64 billion Kenyan shillings. These statistics, most definitely, signal a need to have reliable long-term domestic source. The recent discovery of oil in Turkana might have brought some reprieve, but the need for nuclear energy development is highly relevant.Caution must however be exercised in this process. Reactors are built using high strength materials to withstand high pressures and temperature. A slight compromise on quality of these materials can be disastrous. Once a meltdown is occasioned in a reactor, Council Fire Brigade cannot rush there to put out that fire. The radiations from these reactors are highly lethal. The only thing that can be done is evacuation.

NUCLEAR ENERGY


maximum monitoring can be done collectively.One of the greatest fears by the world powers and the United Nations is the proliferation of nuclear materials and technology in various parts of the world. The technologies associated with the nuclear power programs have dual-use. They can be used to make nuclear bombs if a country chooses to do so. The united states, being the key campaigner of anti-nuclear programs have a tight security policy, in which it seeks to eliminate threat from any potential enemy. It’s feared that if every country is allowed to develop its nuclear program and go unregulated, then it would be a great disaster, should that country be malicious or rises against

another country.The advantage of nuclear power is that it is highly green. Nuclear energy would replace all the fossil fuel energy generators and hence substantially cut the carbon emissions. I t would save the world from the increasing rates of global warming. It is estimated that by 2050, the economic and social implications of global warming will be worse and deadlier that the damage occasioned by the Chernobyl and Fukushima I nuclear accidents combined. Millions of people in Africa, Asia and South America go hungry due to effects of global warming. Any development that can revert this is highly welcome. Nearer home, some of our prestigious hotels at the Kenyan coast are at risk of being submerged due to rising ocean levels, all thanks to global warming.The ship is safest while at the harbor. But that is not it was built for. It takes risk in the turbulence waters that has consumed many before, to bring home millions in profits. We as a country can opt to stay at the harbor and remain ‘safe’ or roll up our sleeves and move on with this ambitious program and in the process, build a multi-billion industry, bringing millions back home.

To minimize the effect of such disasters, Dr. Kamau Gachigi, a material scientist in the department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UoN, proposes an underwater facility. With careful calculations, the plant can be anchored in the sea, and in the event the facility breaks down, it would be easier to control and also less damage onshore. This technology has been applied in the offshore oil and gas rigs in Norway, and Dr. Kamau believes that it can be applied in the case of nuclear reactors. However, nuclear power has caused far fewer accidental deaths per unit of energy generated than other major forms of power generation. Energy production from coal, natural gas, and hydropower has caused far more deaths due to accidents. However, nuclear power plant accidents rank first in terms of their economic cost, accounting for 41 percent of all property damage attributed to energy accidents.Change in climatic conditions, leading to reduced precipitation, heat waves and prolonged droughts have significant effects on nuclear energy programs. Nuclear power plants depend on fresh water as sea water is highly corrosive, compromising the strength of the structure. Heat waves reduces the cooling of the reactors, and in extreme case, they can cause to these reactors to be shut down, as it happened in France during the 2003 and 2006 heat waves. During the heat waves, severe drought and low river levels meant that the rivers had reached the maximum level for cooling the reactors. Consequently, 17 reactors were shut down, leading to 8GW shortage in the country. These heat waves are not common in the Kenya, but the drought is a regular visitor. Therefore the design team must consider such situations to avoid turning the country dark some time in future.Nuclear waste management is another hard task for this industry. Nuclear waste is stored at the individual reactors sites around the world. However, plans are underway to construct centralized underground reposi tor ies where

As at 2005, nuclear power provided 15% of the world

electricity, of which US, France and Japan accounted for over

56% of the world’s nuclear power

NUCLEAR ENERGY


LAMU PORT-SOUTH SUDAN-ETHIOPIA TRANSPORT & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORRIDOR (LAPSSET)

“The Lamu port- South Sudan-Ethiopia transport and economic development

corridor (LAPSSET), is a multi-billion dollar flagship project under the Kenya Vision 2030 national development policy blue print. This Corridor,if realized will reduce over reliance on the Northern Corridor, creating a second transport and economic corridor that is projected to improve the livelihoods of over 15 million people in North Eastern, Eastern, Rift Valley and Coast provinces, and facilitate trade and investment with South Sudan and Ethiopia

with a population of over 4 million and over 80 million people respectively. LAPSSET has received immense support and attention from international financial institutions, regional bodies and Kenya’s development partners. These include, the African union, COMESSA, East African Community, the World Bank and SADC. It comprises of seven major components and associated infrastructure, including: the Lamu port; the oil pipeline from Juba to this port;; an Oil refinery at Lamu; a railway link to South Sudan and Ethiopia; a

Highway joining Kenya to South Sudan and Kenya to Ethiopia; three resort cities and airports at Lamu, Isiolo and Lokichogio respectively and a HyGrand falls., The office of the Prime Minister has operationalised the co-ordination function of the LAPSET Corridor Projects per the Cabinet defectively by establishing the LAPSSET Corridor Project “

Co-ordination Secretariat at the Office of the Prime Minister.

The map above shows the The Lappset Corridor Route: Courtesy, Vision 2030 Delivery Secretariat

LAPSSET

By Kennedy Kimani


The key project components of the project are:

THE LAMU PORT The Lamu port will be a modern port at Manda Bay and three times the size of the current Kilindini harbor in Mombasa. The feasibility study confirmed suitability of the Manda Bay site in Lamu for development of a port since it is well sheltered and has deep waters, 18 metres along the main channel to 60metres in the bay On completion, the port will comprise of thirty two berths, three of which will be constructed in the first phase and designed to handle 30,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) for general and bulk cargo respectively. Lamu port is positioned as an important

trans-shipment hub, poised to handle crude oil and oil products from the South Sudan. The LAPSSET Corridor consists of four major transport infrastructure components namely the highway,

1. New Lamu Port 32 Berths

2. Crude Oil Pipeline 1,300 km

3. Oil Refinery at Lamu 120,000 barrels per day

4. Highway component

• Lamu - Isiolo 530 km

• Isiolo - Moyale (Ethiopia) 470 km

• Isiolo - Nakodok (South Sudan) 720 km

5. Railway (Standard Gauge Track)

• Lamu - Isiolo 530 km

• Isiolo - Moyale 410 km

• Isiolo Nakodok 680 km

6. Airport

• Lamu, Isiolo, Lokichogio

7. Resort Cities

• Lamu, Isiolo, Lake Turkana

8. Associated Infrastructure

• Power, Water, Communication

9. Lamu Metropolis

railway, oil pipeline and three airports. The airports will be constructed at Lamu, Isiolo and Lokichogio respectively. It is a major project that includes a new transport corridor from the new Lamu port to Isiolo, where it branches off through Marsabit and Moyale to Ethiopia and another branch from Isiolo through Lodwar, and Lokichogio to South-Sudan.

TOURIST RESORTS Resort cities will be constructed in Lamu, Isiolo and Lake Turkana which will create new tourism corridor based on group tours. Lamu is proposed to a “Collaboration City” located at Mokowe consisting of a conventional centre, fisherman’s wharf cultural centre, and amusement centre. Eco-tours will be based at Kipini, Bwaya, Manda, Pate and Kiwaiyu Islands. They will include marine and land sports, fishing, surfing, nature safaris and archeological sites. Isiolo is proposed to be a “Junction City” of the LAPSSET highway and railway and railway. It will be a culture core of Kenya with nature safari lands, archeological site and eco-villages at Kipsing Gap, Archer’s Post and Kura Mawe. Lake Turkana is proposed to be a “Healing City” with core facilities at Lodwar city and satellite facilities of fishing, boat building, hot springs, archeology sight-seeing, and trekking in Kalokoi, Eliye Springs and Loiyangalani.

OIL REFINERY An Oil Refinery will be suited at Lamu Port next to Lamu Crude Oil Tank Terminal and will expectedly process crude oil sourced via the LAPSSET pipeline. The Refinery area is assessed to be about 53 ha in total, consisting of crude and products tank farm (16.4 ha), primary and secondary processing units (6.5 ha), administration services (7.5 ha) construction yards (6.5 ha) and others.The LAPSSET project stands as a model project with potential to completely transform the economic status of Lamu and the entire coast of Kenya with increased employment opportunities; better social amenities such as schools, health facilities as well as water and energy provisions that are associated with such projects for the benefit of the people in the region for a long time to come

Lamu is proposed to be a “Collaboration City” located

at Mokowe consisting of a conventional centre, fisherman’s

wharf cultural centre, and amusement centre.

LAPSSET


The demand for energy in Kenya has been on the increase owing to the huge technological advancements and investments in the

country. As a developing country with an optimistic development agenda, the success of becoming a medium income economy as enshrined in the vision 2030 blueprint is tied to the availability of energy. This is the reason why huge investments in the energy sector cannot be wished away. The availability of energy will in turn reduce the unit cost of production and thus attract more local and foreign investors in the country. The government plans to raise power output from the current 1533MW to 3750MW by 2018 and more than 15000MW by 2030 in line with vision 2030.That is why the recently launched Sh. 82bn geothermal power project in Ol Karia places Kenya in the right path towards the achievement of the a better economic status. Speaking during the launch, president Kibaki said, “this project will firmly put Kenya on the path to vision 2030, since affordable, reliable and adequate power are key to the attainment of this economic growth blueprint”.The Ol Karia geothermal power project is the biggest of its kind in Africa. It is expected to be completed by 2014 and it will pump an additional 280MW to the national grid. This will raise the energy output in Kenya by approximately 20% and help reduce the pressure on our rivers, since hydroelectric power is increasingly becoming unreliable due to the perennial water shortages. In addition, geothermal power production is cheaper as compared to diesel and hydroelectric power.The project is financed by KenGen, the Government of Kenya, the World Bank, the German Development Bank, the European Investment bank, the French Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The plant will be set up by a group of contractors comprising Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Corp, South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & construction, China’s Sinopec and India’s KEC. The works will include the developing of a steam field which will be undertaken by Sinopec and also construction of a substation and transmission, taken up by KEC.According to the government records, timelines show that the relocation of people residing around the project area is expected to be complete by February next year, by which time the required infrastructure should be in place so that construction work may kick off. The president further urged goodwill from the local community and politicians from the area so as to ensure that the project runs smoothly to its completion.

KENYA LAUNCHES SH. 82BGEOTHERMAL POWER PLANT.

By Paul Ndung’u

This is because conflicts have arisen is many areas where huge development projects are set up by the government and the implementers are forced to fight off numerous lawsuits and witch-hunt from individuals with vested interests. He cited article 69 of the constitution which places the ownership of natural resources in the country to all Kenyans and not the local community living where these resources are located.

The Ol Karia geothermal power project is the biggest of its kind

in Africa. It is expected to be completed by 2014 and it will pump an additional 280MW to

the national grid.

GEOTHERMAL ENERGY


The process of contracting o u t t o a t h i r d p a r t y t o execute a business process which an organization may have previously performed

internally or which the company deems necessary or important. The process is purchased as a service.Outsourcing may take any of these t h r e e c a t e g o r i e s ; I n f o r m a t i o n Technology Enabled Services (ITES-BPO), Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO), Legal Process Outsourcing (LPO). Business process outsourcing may be categorized as back-office or front office. The former includes H.R, finance, Accounts services and related fields, whereas the latter includes mainly contact center services.At the onset of outsourcing some 30 years ago in Kenya, Outsourcing was used more as a business tactic aimed at reducing operational costs. As business needs and challenges became more complex and demanding, Outsourcing evolved into business strategy that now goes beyond providing cost savings-it has become a competitive necessity.In Kenya, the core BPO is in voice and

data, owing to availability of cheap versatile labor, clear accents and the reduced bandwidth cost since the arrival of the fibre-optic internet in 2008. Voice outsourcing entails telemarketing, contact centres, voice transcription et cetera. Data outsourcing comprises of data entry, bulk sms, et cetera.

WHY OUTSOURCE?The benefits of BPO far exceed the shortcomings, transforming the way businesses run and determine their productivity;• Increase in a company’s flexibility-

by transforming fixed costs into variable costs. This is because most BPO vendors offer services on a fee-for-service basis. This aids a company by allowing more investment to be put in assets. Flexibility may also be increased i n r e s o u r c e m a n a g e m e n t b y reducing response times to major environmental changes.

• Enabling a company to focus on its core competencies without the burden of bureaucratic restraints. Talent, time and energy are then

directed to the building of the core business.

• Increase in organizational flexibility by increasing the speed of processes e. g supply chain management increases the throughput of say a manufacturing company.

The major threat with BPO outsourcing is the r isk involved especial ly in Outsourcing for an information system; from a communication and privacy perspective. Less serious limitations include a failure to meet service levels, unclear contractual issues, changing requirements and unforeseen charges.

B.P.O OPPORTUNITIESThe integration of the East Africa Community (E.A.C) is an important platform to grab the market share. Kenya’s B.P.O. industry has been restructuring as the region becomes a hot spot for outsourcing with investment in training, service and talent as key ingredients for companies in this industry. To compete with B.P.O hubs like India and The Philippines, the Kenya I.C.T board plans to focus on developing specialized services; animation, gaming and software development. International operators are also showing increasing interest in the region as a new frontier that has the potential to offer more value than the traditional B.P.O destinations.Potential synergies between local software developers and the B.P.O sector exist. With regards to ITES-BPO, developers can plug in by way of developing local BPO industry-focused platforms, in order to cater to international clients as well as the local market. Other opportunities abound with specific qualifications; sales skills, research skills, excellent communication skills, clear accents and fluency. Companies offering B.P.O services are on the rise to meet the demand in the market today. The market shakers include I.C.T CONSULTANTS LTD, who offer comprehensive services; Database Cleaning/ Managing, Market Research& Analysis, Seminar & Events Invitation, Customer Service/ Response, Lead Generation & Appointment Setting, Graphic Design, Domain Registration, Web hosting, Web Design, Social Media Marketing, S.E.O, Bulk SMS/Email.

OUTSOURCINGBy Rachael Nyokabi

BPO


By Joel Lukhovi

BM W i s o n c e a g a i n t h e world’s most sustainable automotive company. It is the sector’s leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability

for the seventh year.T h e B M W h a s b e e n n a m e d t h e automotive industry sector’s leader in the ranking published recently by the SAM group for the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). This makes the BMW Group to be the world’s most sustainable automobile manufacturer for seven consecutive years. Since the automobile industry was established in 1999, BMW group has been the only company to be listed in the family of indexes.The success of the BMW group is built on the long term approach, and responsible action. Being ranked as a sector leader for the past seven years underscores its corporate strategy and approach. This comes with a lot of sacrifice and dedication towards its day to day activities.The company appointed an environmental officer back in 1973 – the automotive industry’s first. Since then, the company has systematically refined its concept of sustainability. In 2009, the corporate sustainability was firmly established as a corporate target at group level. Today the Sustainability Board, comprising of all the

STEADY SUSTAINABILITY

BMW is once again the world’s most sustainable automotive company. It is the sector’s leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability for the seventh year.

members of the board of management defines the strategic alignment through binding internal targets, and the executive sustainability committee paves the way for implementation in the relevant divisions. BMW is one of the most successful manufacturers of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with BMW MINI and Rolls- Royce brands. AS a global company, the Group operates 25 production and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. During the financial year 2010, the group sold 1.46 million cars and more than 110, 000 motorcycles worldwide. Besides that, the BMW group has a work force of approximately 95,500 employees.

The success of BMW has always been built on long term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability t h r o u g h o u t t h e v a l u e c h a i n , comprehensive product responsibility, and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts it has been ranked in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last seven years.Earlier last year, BMW group showcased its vision of future mobility in the shape of the BMW i3 concept and the BMW i8 Concept studies. These concept vehicles provide a glimpse of the first electrically powered cars from the new BMW i sub-brand, to be launched as the BMW i3 in 2013 and the BMW i8 in 2014. BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and mobility services inspiring design and a new understanding of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability. With BMW i, the BMW Group is adopting an all-embracing approach, redefining the understanding of personal mobility with purpose-built vehicles concepts, a focus on sustainability throughout the value chain and a range of complementary mobility services.

BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and

mobility services inspiring design and a new understanding

of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability

SUSTAINABILITY


F inally a place in Kenya where we will be able to stumble onto new ideas, stumble onto new opportunities and make happy accidents more likely is within

the horizon.Currently the country hosts a burgeoning technical community as can be observed at places such as The Fab Lab Nairobi and The iHub. Numerous startups and tech ventures are sprouting all over the city and the access to new technology in computing and telecommunications is all the evidence you need to show you how an

KONZA CITY..!!

eager and educated young population that is concentrated around the city limits is slowly coming up. The country is at a point where it is trying to assimilate all the knowledge and technology at its disposal and is trying to develop and use it in the formulation of organic solutions to its issues and even transcending them to the globe for example Ushahidi and our crown jewel M-Pesa.We are slowly moving away from our historical fire-fighting mode of trying to resolve outdated information, communication and technological issues

and tending towards the implementation of business oriented technology.For us to meet our goals as a nation of achieving an annual GDP growth of 10% i.e. roughly what countries such as china have enjoyed over the last few years, and becoming a middle income economy with a sizeable middle class that is skilled enough to service the rich and is strong enough to empower and employ the nation’s poor, we will need to embrace concepts and ideas that push for the proper distribution of resources and amenities. Nairobi as a starting point is in desperate

COVER STORY



need of decongestion and that is why a proposition such as Konza City’s effect will be twofold, a solution to the growing population of Nairobi and a platform to harness the nations technological needs.

Designed to be a beacon of excellence for not only Kenya but the whole of Afr ica, Konza City represents an ambitious vision of a modern, inclusive and sustainable Kenya. It is poised to showcase the country’s new dynamism and growing prosperity.The 2000 hectare city will be located on a Greenfield site, 60 kilometers south of Nairobi. It’s already a location with excellent communication and transport links: the A109 highway that connects Nairobi to Mombasa runs through the site, Konza Rail Station is less than 4 kilometers away, and to top all that Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is less than 50 kilometers away.Konza Techno City will be based on a wide range of successful new town projects from around the world. The master plan has been put together by an international team of experts drawing on the best practices from countries such as China, U.K and Brazil to ensure global competitiveness. The city will

feature world class civic and commercial buildings and the Business Process Outsourcing (B.P.O) Technology Park will be a high quality campus playing host to a myriad of blue chip companies.The technology park will feature world class infrastructure developed by international information technology (I.T) suppliers and will be designed to meet global I.T demands. Kenya already has a highly successful under-sea cable link to the Middle East which assures global connectivity. The establishment of the technology park will mark Kenya’s arrival as a B.P.O destination. Multi-nationals looking to streamline their operations by outsourcing their processes will look increasingly to Africa as the next low cost, high quality destination. The Tech city intends to give a lot of technological expertise which will hopeful ly aid in growing Kenya’s economy and raise the profile of the entire continent. A further boost to Kenya is that its time zone sits between Europe and Asia meaning that it will be in a position to provide real time services to different organizations based in these continents.The city’s Central Business District will be another significant draw for global

firms; it will offer a landmark shopping mall with major retailers, office blocks built to the standards of multinationals and hotels designed for international business travelers and tourists. Konza will attract the most skilled and educated people from across Kenya, Africa and the world over. The new city will provide better opportunities to students, in particular, access to better technology and easy access to startups and companies. T h e c i t y i s d e s i g n e d f o r p h a s e d development that will permit rapid growth while ensuring that physical amenities and infrastructure grow with the populations needs. Moreover, public transport will be built into the site.The new city isn’t just about business, safe and well designed neighborhoods will be good places to raise families. The

Designed to be a beacon of excellence for not only Kenya but the whole of Africa, Konza City represents an ambitious

vision of a modern, inclusive and sustainable Kenya.

COVER STORY


city will be filled with cultural attractions and entertainment centers. Parks and squares will offer recreational space. Community facilities and medical services will be up to international standards. Education will begin from primary schools and continue all the way to world class universities. There will also be a small stadium, public entertainment venues, concert halls, and sports facilities.Sustainability is at the heart of Konza and the proposed development will meet international development standards. Renewable energy sources will be used and recycling systems will be put in place.In the words of Bitange Ndemo the Permanent Secretary in The Ministry of Information and Communication,” East Africa will become one and we will be able to move around freely as we become a regional market and because of that the ICT Park being set up at Konza is not only a Kenyan thing, it is going to be a regional hub for the entire East Africa and provide leadership in ICT for the entire region.”

This is an elaborate and daunting project that is well thought out and is set to be one of the most successful cities in Africa competing economically and culturally with the best cities in the world.

The city intends to come up with and nurture tons of innovators and their innovations by the convergence of old and new technological knowledge on one site, a large pool of skilled engineers and scientists from around the country, generous funding and the development of an effective network of venture capital firms and as much institutional leadership from the major universities and academic institutions in the region. Konza City represents a very new kind

of African city, for a very new kind of Africa. It is poised to be at the forefront of the tech led business revolution that will transform the country and even the continent as a whole, there are even talks of similar cities being built in Ethiopia, South Africa and Rwanda.Based in one of the most developed and stable African nations that are set to join the list of the worlds new high growth economies, Konza is where Africa’s silicon savannah begins.

COVER STORY


It’s a chilly July morning and the weather outside is nothing but pure gloom. Drizzling and dark, 9 o’clock looks like the wee hours of the morning. Hardly do temperatures

fall below 10 degrees in Nairobi-clad in warm trench coats and scarves, this is the closest to winter we’ve ever come.I meet my colleague and off we head to HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES (KENYA) CO, LTD. situated in Upper-hill, Nairobi. We walk into the offices at Zep- Re plaza at about 10o’clock, just in time for the important interview. The reception is buzzing with movement of staff & visitors- it’s tea time. No sooner had we sat at the waiting lounge than an alumni walked by and after a few pleasantries we’re shown to

PROFILE ENGINEER-DEPUTY C.E.O COUNTRY GM,

Delivery & Service.Huawei Technologies

the kitchen to fix ourselves some hot cup of coffee. We couldn’t be more grateful. We realize that it’s no one’s responsibility to entertain guests and the sooner you adjust, the easier it is! It’s not long before the receptionist gives us the green-light to proceed to the deputy C.E.O’s office for our scheduled meeting. John Tanui’s office is on the technical department’s fifth floor so we ride up the elevator and on signing the visitors’ register; we’re issued with access cards. The warmth of his smile, the ambience in his office and the firm handshake dispel all the cold and for the next hour we forget all about the biting cold and precipitation outside.

MEET OUR PROFILE ENGINEER-

J O H N K . T A N U I , V I C E C . E . O , COUNTRY GM-DELIVERY AND SERVICE. HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES (KENYA) CO., LTD.

Q. When you meet a new person, how do you describe yourself?R. I’m a trained telecommunications Engineer and have been practicing for the past 13 years. I’ve traversed a number of departments including wireless technologies, core network, project management, and general managerial work just to mention a few. I also have a passion for mentorship.

Q. What is your background, growing up?R. I was born in Eldama-ravine in the R.Valley, and bred in Trans-Nzoia before moving to Eldoret and Nairobi.

Q.How did you discover your passion for telecoms engineering, what’s your educational background?R. From a young age, I had a passion for mathematics & sciences. My curiosity and interest was further heightened when I went to secondary school, in Kabarak High School. With colleagues enrolling for the barely understood course in Electrical Engineering at that time, I was able to get mentorship. I was admitted at Moi University for BTech. Electrical & Communications Engineering and graduated in 1998 having specialized in the light current option. It wasn’t easy deciding what option to take, especially because the communications industry was in its infant stages and the only solution providers were Electrical Engineers and I.T professionals.

Q.Entry into the Industry/ Career launch.R. I did my internship in Portland Cement CO., in Basic Controls & Communication S y s t e m s . T h e n I w e n t t o t h e Meteorological department- an internship that seemed rather irrelevant. I’m grateful to have taken it, as it turned out to be the most beneficial learning experience. The gadgets and communication systems employed were such an eye opener.

Q. Employment?R. I worked my first job on voluntary

PROFILE

By Rachael Nyokabi

JOHN K. TANUI

By Rachael Nyokabi


basis for 3 months, deal ing with communication and wireless systems in S.A Becron, before moving to Telkom Kenya, where I was part of pioneer system trials in wireless solutions. I saw the very first deployment in Ksm,Nku, and billing systems in Nbi. among other phenomenal projects.

Q. Working for Huawei, how has the progress been?R. I joined the co. in the year 2000 as the first engineer and was part of the deployment in Naivasha, expansion, transmission, and switching. It was a challenging time since the company was a new entrant in the industry not only in Kenya but in the world. From 2000-2004, I worked as the wireless engineer, and saw the deployment in Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania & Zimbabwe. I also saw the deployment of GSM in Uganda.In 2004, I went into management as the wireless solutions project manager of 7 countries, and over time became the Deputy Delivery- Technical Services dept. and now the Deputy C.E.O, delivery & service in charge of 3 countries, Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia &Djibouti. Q.Describe a typical day at work as deputy C.E.O?R. I wake up at 5a.m, and get to the office by 7.30 am. I then respond to emails and plan my day. At any one time, a minimum of 30 projects are running concurrently. I review the projects with the respective managers to monitor their progress as well as offer any assistance needed. Meetings to discuss long term projects follow as well as planning of staff and communicating with customers.

Q. How rewarding is the job of a telecoms engineer in Kenya?R.The benefits realized have transformed business, education and services delivery in the country. Devices have become affordable and improved lives.

Q. Is it a necessity to get accreditation on completion of the undergrad course, by the ERB?R. For professionalism in the practice of Engineering, it’s definitely necessary to get registered, not only by the ERB, but also by other authorizing bodies in the industry including but not limited to; the IEK, IEEE, CCK. There are different lines

of registration such as trainee engineer, graduate engineer e.t.c.

Q. Comment on the pace of adoption of new technologies/ innovations that are key to economic growth of the industry.R. It’s been quite impressive, especially in the apps market. The penetration is still in its initial stages and the potential is very promising. In terms of device innovation and availability in the market, it’s been a movement with introduction of affordable handsets, like the Ideos smart phone.

Q . W h e r e h a v e t e c h n o l o g i c a l developments placed Kenya in the global map, are we doing enough? R. We’re rated quite highly, but we’ve barely exploited our potential. We’re yet to see both fixed and mobile users enjoy the same benefits and affordably so.

Q.Huawei- history, partnerships, CSR, scholarships, competitions, e.t.c?R. The M.O.U signed in 2011 between H u a w e i a n d 3 p u b l i c u n i v e r s i t i e s -J K U A T , M O I , UON - has seen the involvement in their activities, i n t e r n s h i p s , m o b i l e a p p l i c a t i o n s d e v e l o p m e n t c h a l l e n g e s , m e n t o r s h i p , i n p u t i n t h e c u r r i c u l u m are just a few examples of the partnerships.

Q. How’s your social life?R. I’m a family man, so during t h e h o l i d a y s and weekends w h e n e v e r possible, I spend t i m e w i t h m y wife and children, traveling locally or abroad. I also value friendships and so I take the

PROFILE

time to bond with friends. I’m a member at a club where I get sporty and exercise.

Q. Words of wisdom to the student engineer & youth?R . T h e s t u d e n t e n g i n e e r h a s t o understand some common attributes that all employers are in search of; competence, excellence, integrity, reliability, team player. Personalities unafraid of challenges, and finally great interpersonal skills. The development of Kenya is heavily dependent on infrastructure as a backbone against which al l other aspects wil l prop. Hence the dire need for Engineers as solution providers. University education offers fundamental base for further development in terms of knowledge. However, the need for skills besides the knowledge acquired from lectures and books is indispensable in positioning oneself as a solution provider. It’s very encouraging to discover that armed with these, every organization will surely find your services invaluable.


Safaricom, Ltd- the leading mobile network operator in Kenya, public owned company with Vodafone owning stakes at 40%, the Treasury at 35%

and the other 25% is owned by the public following floatation at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Its core business is G.S.M. related products. Safar icom, Ltd has launched an internship programme 2012/2013, that seeks to bridge the gap between academia and the market.

INTRODUCTIONThe internship program will only apply to under-graduate students whose studies are currently ongoing. It is an equal opportunity initiative that seeks to offer mentorship to academia while assisting Talent Acquisition to keep a talent repository from the best interns for future needs of the company.

RECRUITMENT STRATEGYAdvertisement will only be done once on the Safaricom intranet so that the students can apply. All students will forward their C.V’s to the email address [email protected] where they’ll be pulled so as to create order and a good

flow of the process. It is noteworthy that the opportunities are dynamic and therefore applications to the different divisions need not be aligned to the specific courses of the applicants.This process will be managed by the Talent Acquisition section and the normal procedure will be followed i.e. advertisement of position, short listing, interviewing and selection to offer.

DURATION & TERMSInternship will be for a maximum duration of three (3) months, or as stipulated within the student’s course, on a full-time basis. Incase of extension of the internship due to the student’s course, extension period will not exceed one month. In total therefore the duration of the internship should not last longer than four (4) months, per every financial year. No provision for renewal of contract has been put in place once the period elapses. A stipend will be offered during the internship period.

DIVISION CODINGEvery division has a code so as to help in sieving of C.V’s that will be sent to [email protected]. This will facilitate order and clarity where need

By Rachel Nyokabi

SAFARICOM INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME 2012/2013

be when pulling them to the relevant divisions: • Executive Business (SFC-Intern;

Name of University; EB)• Risk Management (SFC-Intern;

Name of University; RM)• C u s t o m e r C a r e / S t r a t e g i c

Management (SFC-Intern; Name of University; CC&M)

• Corporate Affairs (SFC-Intern; Name of University; CA)

• Consumer Business Unit (SFC-Intern; Name of University; CBU)

• Financial Services (SFC-Intern; Name of University; FS)

• Enterprise Business, Sales & Marketing (SFC-Intern; Name of University; EBU)

• Finance (SFC-Intern; Name of University; FIN)

• Resources (SFC-Intern; Name of University; RF)

• Technical & IT (SFC-Intern; Name of University; TECHIT)

PERFORMANCE INDICATORSAt the end of the internship, the supervisor will do a report that will be forwarded to the university and a copy forwarded the Talent Acquisition department with regards to the student’s performance while on internship. This will not only help the student to improve themselves, but also enable the Talent Acquisition to identify key areas in future recruitments while keeping abreast with academic trends in the market, in relation to the company’s future needs. In addition, the Talent acquisition will be in a position to keep a talent repository from the best interns.

INTERNSHIP


There’s a new technology in town that’s going to change the world as drastically as the move to digital changed the music industry, much

like how music nowadays is no longer tied to the CD’s or any physical medium for that matter, the cost of production and distribution of new designs is set to move to an all time low as these printers slowly move into our homes, the average computer using household will be able to print a virtually unlimited array of objects simply based on designs downloaded from the internet for just the cost of the raw materials. Every lab in the world is set to have a 3D printer as one of its most important pieces of equipment but the real power of 3D printing lies in its ability to put science and engineering in the hands of many and major product producers are going to have to start competing directly with thousands of new creators.In our country technology has just been a slice of the economy but we have slowly been setting up the building blocks to get us to today when technology is positioning itself to remake our whole economy and hopefully reduce our vulnerability to financial shocks and

political forces beyond our control. Who knows the widespread embrace of technology might just help us end our long standing affair with real estate.

3d printing as a technology has evolved from prototyping to production and the industry is slowly developing and diversifying. The pioneers in the use of 3D printing for research started roughly 20 years ago with a prototype that was very expensive and required toxic materials and solvents / laminations that put off most scientists, but now cheaper and less toxic technology is finally catching on.Additive layer manufacturing processes are automated systems that take 2Dimensional layers of computer data and rebuild them into solid 3 dimensional objects and Additive Manufacturing or 3D printing can be referred to as the manufacture of ‘end-use’ component parts using Additive Layer Manufacturing processes. Just as a normal inkjet printer sprays ink onto a page line by line thus printing out the desired text, many modern day 3D Printers spray/ print multiple material layers of melted plastic on top of each other and end up building a solid object,

the said printers squeeze out one layer of heated plastic at a time according to a design on an SD card or a design sent from a computer connected to the printer. Other types of machines work by, fusing solid layers out of a vat of liquid or powdered plastic often using Ultra Violet or infrared light. Some manufacturers apply powder bonding technologies with binder-spraying cartridges and heads based on inkjet printers that can make full color objects simply by adding pigments to the binding liquids.Plast ic parts produced by fused deposition modeling machines (machines that spit liquid plastic to build up the desired geometry) typically have about two-thirds of the strength per unit area of injection molded plastic parts which is fine for most of their applications.If you just have an idea, you can turn it into the appropriate digital file using Autodesk 123D or any of a handful of other free or low cost 3D design programs, but if you prefer to design something involving shapes based on mathematical functions there’s, OpenSCAD; an open-source solid-geometry application that lets users write programs to combine geometric primitives like spheres and cylinders to

3D-PRINTING..!!

3D PRINTING



come up with a final design. And for the technologically savvy individuals who aren’t exactly interested in designing products but have access to internet connection in their homes, why not simply download your product of choices 3D design files for free from the numerous peer-to-peer file sharing sites, you might be surprised to find out that 3D printable designs are already making their way onto pirate bay, but even if people decide to go by a more ethical approach there will still be a host of cheaper if not free and ethical alternatives available on the web such as through the growing open-source communities, hundreds of different choices will only be a click away. These days’ personal kits go for as low as 40,000 shillings although more sophisticated industrial systems cost an average of 5 to 6 million shillings. In the year 2011 alone nearly 30,000 3D printers were sold worldwide with academic institutions buying at least a third of those in the 1million to 3 million shilling price range.The current market leader in the supply of relatively low cost 3D printers is MakerBot industries, the company is less than three years old and its business is based on an open source platform, they have a loyal customer base that also double up as beta testers. Judging by their growth rate MakerBot is set

to enjoy unlimited access into people’s offices and homes, they even donated their latest product to the FabLab Nairobi called The Replicator.

APPLICATIONSResearch labs are using many types of 3D printers to construct everything from fossil replicas to tissues of beating heart cells and early adopters are using them to come up with custom lab tools and the printouts have already started yielding insights that would not have been possible had any conventional methods been used.Designers and researchers are swapping back and forth between printed and virtual models because computer models are good for putting together items while positioning them in space without worrying about gravity and calculating volumes but working with virtual models purely they tend to lose an idea of the size of the items.A group of researchers in the field of molecular biology are trying to combine computing power with some of the tactile advantages of 3D printing by tagging printed models with small paper labels that can be recognized by a web cam to create an ‘augmented reality’ view thus a user can play around with the physical model while using the computer simultaneously to explore aspects such as the potential energy of a given

molecular arrangement. 3 D printed parts are already being used by aircraft companies that print out assembly-jig inserts for holding wing sections and other parts in place for drilling and fastening operations.High performance car manufacturing companies have began printing molds for carbon composite panels because sculpting or machining the complex curves required for those body panels tends to be far too time consuming and very expensive to do any other way.Dental labs are making use of 3d printing to fabricate crowns and bridgework while other labs are using them to fashion ‘invisible’ braces and the medical field has recently made use of the technology to come up with custom hearing aids and prosthetic limbs.Metalworking companies have started printing models for casting jewelry and other small objects and others have found out that 3D printed dies can be used for stamping aircraft parts out of sheet metal.Architects use them to produce their models and the consumer electronics companies use them to build gadget prototypes.What the above examples have in common is the high cost of conventional production of the parts used for tooling and machining thus bringing us to the reasons why people are using 3D printing.

3D PRINTING


REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE USING 3D PRINTINGIt provides for the personalization of products thus the final product is centered on the individual consumers e.g. products like hearing aids and prosthetic limbs.It enables low volume production thus the economic manufacture of low volume complex geometries and assemblies mainly by reducing the need for tooling, reducing the capital investment and inventory and mostly simplifying the supply chain.Additive manufacturing helps maximize the design complexity and capability of the final products by enabling the production of highly complex geometries with minimal if any cost penalties for example products that would have had to have gone through multiple machining operations and would have had to be subjected to tens of post processing operations are produced as one piece in one operation.The re-alignment of supply chains is one of the biggest advantages of these new technology mainly due to the fact that this production technique helps support new lean yet agile business models

and supply chains through; distributed manufacture, manufacture at the point of consumption, demand pull business models, virtually stockless supply chains and in the case on home manufacture chainless supply chains.Additive manufacturing enables multiple functionalities to be built in using one process thus increasing part functionality i.e. replacing surface coatings and textures, modifying physical behavior by designing different mechanical properties into different parts, embedding secondary materials such as optical and electrical components.3D pr int ing fac i l i tates l i fe cyc le sustainability of products through

the economic and environmentally sustainable improvements of product life cycle features such as the reduced consumption of raw materials, efficient supply chains, lighter weight components and optimized product efficiency thus a reduced life cycle burden.

Despite the fact that this technology c o m p a r e d t o o t h e r f o r m s o f manufacturing is still in its infancy, within less than a decade it is very likely that many modern homes will have one of this printers downloading and printing out whatever is needed because the only thing cheaper than having your product produced in china is having your product produced by a robot which is essentially what a 3 D printer is.3D printing is set to alter not only the contents of our homes but the general landscapes of our streets and economies, whether large companies will survive the following changes will depend on how they react to this technology. Even companies that can’t yet make money from this production technique might want to get a feel of it now rather than try and scale up the learning curve after its competitors have done so.

3D printing is set to alter not only the contents of our homes but the general landscapes of

our streets and economies, whether large companies will survive the following changes

will depend on how they react to this technology

3D PRINTING


He l d e v e r y y e a r a s a forum to bring together p r o f e s s i o n a l s f r o m t h e b u i l t a n d n a t u r a l environment including

architects, quantity surveyors, town planners, engineers and landscape architects, the AAK annual convention was held at the Leisure Lodge Resort, Diani, between 25th to 28th July 2012. This year it brought together delegates from a wide range of organizations including the central government, local authorities, private sector and other non-governmental organizations to three days of sharing ideas, interacting, socializing and fun. Also in attendance was the East Africa Institute of Architects (EAIA) as they joined in to hold their council meeting as well as their annual general meeting in Kenya. 10 students from the University of Nairobi were privileged to be sponsored by the association to be part of the team in Diani, and two of them happened to be representatives of the Engineering Students’ Association.W i t h t h e t h e m e ‘ T a k i n g S t o c k : Professionals’ input in implementation of the constitution’, this year’s convention drew enthusiastic discussion among the participants and thought provoking debate. It provided an opportunity for professionals to reflect recent developments and develop an outlook for the future of this country. Among the lined up presentations were:

THE ARCHITECTURAL ASSOCIATION OF KENYA (AAK) ANNUAL CONVENTION 2012By Ogechi Joy Nancy- Dept. of Electrical EngineeringOnyango Austin Otoyi- Dept. of Civil Engineering

Reforms in Legislation and Judiciary Agenda, a topic which was tackled by Charles Nyachae, Chairman of the Constitutional Implementation Commission. He put forward the need for professionals to take part in implementing the new constitution. These included the rights to housing and clean environment among others which professionals in Built and Natural Environment are the core in its implementation. He also put an emphasis on the reforms in legislation and judiciary.Reforms in Delivery of Public Service, by P.S Ministry of Public Works, John Lonyangapo. The presentation briefly described the formation and functions of the Government, Functions of the National Government and the mandate of the Ministry of public works.Land, Planning and Environment, which was presented by P.M Kibinda, Director- Metropolitan Planning and Environment, Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development and it focused on five main areas including; Understanding planning in the context of sustainable Development, Types of planning as applied over time, Land use planning in the constitutional setting, A case for metropolitan planning in the devolved system and Emerging professional opportunities.

B u i l d i n g a n d I n f r a s t r u c t u r e Development.Housing, Transport and Energy, Eng

Joseph Njoroge, Managing Director and CEO Kenya Power who could not make it prepared a presentation on Meeting Kenya’s electricity needs towards vision 2030. This, he outlined, would be done by incorporating geothermal, coal, imports, wind and nuclear in future production of electricity. The key 2030 flagship projects as listed included: Commuter inter-city and regional passenger rail traffic; An ultra-modern railway station with direct rail link to Kisumu airport, Jomo Kenyatta international airport; 14 electric trains; A variety of commercial buildings; Business parks; 8 hotels with conference facilities within the three cities; Shopping arcades, malls and restaurants; Business outsourcing parks/parking silos; Base for Lake Victoria cruise tourism and international water sports; An international trade center in Mombasa and Infrastructure to support the development.Also present were the sponsors of this prestigious convention who presented their products and outl ined their functions. They include Kaluworks Limited, Crown Berger, Athi River Steel Plant Limited, Agrochemicals Association of Kenya, Apex Steel Limited, Jamii Telecommunications Limited and Samsung Electronics among others. The exhibitors also put their best foot forward in exhibiting their products.However, it was not all work and no play for the delegates attending as also incorporated were a number of social networking events that brought together all delegates and industry partners in a bid to enhance the experience at the convention. The golfers showcased their skill in a golf tournament that was sponsored by Slims East Africa. There were also cocktails and a Gala Dinner in the final night that saw Arch. Musembi Mumo crowned the new chairman of EAIA and one student win the EAIA students’ competition.When all was over and done with, everyone was already looking forward to next year for a much bigger and better experience. In view of the above experience, the Engineering Students’ Association (ESA) of the University of Nairobi would wish to extend their sincere gratitude to the conveners of this educative and informative conference.

AAK


From the earliest times, one of the strongest indicators of a society’s level of development has been its road system, or lack of one. Increasing

populations and the advent of towns and cities brought with it the need for communication and commerce between those growing population centres. A road built in Egypt by the Pharaoh Cheops around 2500 BC is believed to be the earliest paved road on record; a construction road 1,000 yards long and 60 feet wide that led to the site of the Great Pyramid. To this date, the art of road building is unimaginable, and Kenya has gotten into the record books with its magnificent Thika superhighway.On 11th Dec 2009, President Mwai Kibaki commissioned the construction of a 50.4KM 8-lane super highway from Thika to Museum Hill via Forest Road and University Way. Since his election in 2002, the president had identified infrastructure development as his key area in his reform agenda. The main

THIKA SUPERHIGHWAYobjectives of this road was to improve performance of the economic sectors and the delivery of social services in Kenya and its neighbouring regional partner’s states such as Ethiopia and therefore improving the transport network; to improve land transport communication between Kenya and Ethiopia and thereby contribute to regional integration, and spur economic growth through cutting on oil imports due to wastage on traffic snarl ups. Before its expansion, the A2 road was the most congested in the region. Its expansion had given motorists a new lease of life.Construction of the superhighway was set to be the biggest infrastructural development in East and Central Africa, both in size and resources. It coincided with the financial meltdown of 2009 and the rise in global fuel prices. These obstacles force the government to source for international funding for this development. The construction of Thika superhighway

was funded by African Development Bank and the Chinese government through a loan facility. In the loan agreement, the Kenyan government would award tenders for its construction t o C h i n e s e c o m p a n i e s t h r o u g h competitive bidding. Kenya would provide supervisory services and logistics among other roles. Consequently, tenders were awarded to three chines companies China WU YI Co Ltd, Sinohydro Corporation Ltd and Shengli Engineering Construction (Group) Co Ltd.The road section was divided into three lots for construction, with each contractor assigned one. The first lot (Lot 1) LOT 1: NAIROBI CITY ARTERIAL CONNECTORS CONTRACT NO. RD 0530 with contact length of 12.4KM was taken on by China WU YI Co Ltd. The sections would cost 8,030,380,696.64 shillings and take 30 months to complete. The connectors in this lot included Forest Road from Pangani to Uhuru Highway at Museum R/A, Muranga Road from

By Michael Michire

SUPERHIGHWAY


Muthaiga to Globe Cinema up to Uhuru Highway via University Way, Ring Road Ngara from Pangani to Uhuru Highway at Haile Selassie Road R/A. the second lot (Lot 2) was awarded to Sinohydro Corporation Ltd at a contract value of 8,690,568,489.73 for 14.1KM contact length running from Muthaiga to Kenyatta University, to be completed in 30 months. The third lot awarded to Shengli Engineering Construction (Group) Co Ltd runs from Kenyatta University to Thika. The 23.880 Km road section would cost the government 9,441,732,008.29 and would take 30 months to complete. If all went as planned the superhighway would cost the government approximately 27 billion shillings. However, delays, litigations and increase in prices for fuel and building materials pushed the cost to a record 30 billion shillings.The contractors were tasked to widen the existing road, construct flyovers, underpasses, interchange, Pedestrian Grade Separators (FOBs), Bridges across Rivers/Streams, Cross Drainage Works, and Road Furniture. The road upon completion will have 12 flyovers of varying lane size depending on the projected traffic, 3 new underpasses and expansion of an existing one at Juja, and a magnificent interchange at the Museum Hill. Several river bridges and FOBs have also been constructed.Immense technology in road construction has been introduced in Kenya over the period of Thika road construction. The most notable is pre-casting. Pre-casting is an old but very efficient and delicate, but expensive technique in construction. This is primarily due to the size and power of the machines required in transporting the fabricated sections. For a very long time, Germans have been pre-casting its tarmac road section and bridge decks in areas where slight interference with flow of traffic is critical. In construction of Thika road, the bridge decks for river bridges and flyovers were made at a separate place and allowed to heal and dry before being transferred in their required positions using powerful cranes and hydraulic jerks. The world’s biggest bridge in Milau, France was wholly pre-casted in the same way as the Kenyan case, only that it was bigger in magnitude than ours. The advantage of this is that it allows different

works to proceed simultaneously and minimize traffic interference. This help firm’s gain on beating the costly deadlines put by the client.The levels at which materials were compacted were immense. The road is made of gravel, cement and soil, compacted at high pressure in presence of water to form high-strength sediment that completely blocks penetration of water and stands the weight on the surface. This is strengthened further by topping it with tar, which completely puts away water. The road has a highly efficient drainage system that is designed to withstand high levels of city blockage and big enough to carry water on the drainage-dependent surface. Water is the biggest threat to the life of a road and if contained, will see this road hit the age of the Roman Empire roads.The aims of developing the road are beginning to be realized sooner than expected. This road has completely opened Eastern Nairobi for business. Several key business enterprises have pitched camp along the ultra-modern road. Real estate is booming as demand for rental homes in that region soars. In addition, the single largest residential facility-TATU CITY- is about to mushroom in eastern Nairobi, served by the said road. The city is expected to accommodate over 70,000 residents and 30,000 daily visitors.

The construction of the southern by-pass that links the city with Jomo Kenyatta International Airport via Thika Superhighway will make the project more attractive. More housing estates have developed along the road and industrialists are setting up plants in non-traditional areas such as Pangani and Baba Dogo. This will go a long way in easing pressure in industrial area and

consequently Mombasa road and Uhuru highway.However, this construction faced numerous challenges from the onset. During late 70s and 80s, road reserves were al located to individuals and companies without due diligence of the law. Getting back these reserves when they were needed resulted in lengthy court cases. Many prestigious buildings that had been built on these reserves came down at the wrath of heavy bulldozers. One of the casualties of this exercise was the retail chain, Nakumatt, which saw its Nakumatt Thika Road branch demolished. For those who had acquired titles from the government and they could not be revoked, the government spent billions in compensation for the highly valued land. These compensations pushed the initial budget from 27 billion to 30 billion. On top of this, huge amounts have been used in utility transfer, both by the government and private companies.The civil society was up in arms, claiming the local community had not been consulted. They argued that a proper environmental impact assessment had not been conducted prior to this construction. The government had to deal with many court cases in dismissing these claims. The civil society also shouted that the project was entirely done by the Chinese and had no room for our local engineers. From the government records, the project involved over 3500 Kenyans, both skilled and unskilled. Out of these were over 100 local engineers involved in supervision, design and quality control, at various points of its construction together with engineers from India and China. There are fears that the government intends to introduce toll booths to recover funds used in the construction and ease traffic as used in Singapore and France and Spain. Political supremacy also raged on, but finally, the road is almost complete with just days before it is handed over to the government.Once completed, this road will be the most expensive road in the region, only rivaled by few from South Africa and Egypt. It will add into the wealthy balance sheet of the government that stands at 2 trillion shillings, making roads the most expensive government asset.

Construction of the superhighway was set to be the biggest infrastructural development in East and

Central Africa, both in size and resources

SUPERHIGHWAY


The race in controlling the skies has been tight, notably between the American Boeing and the European manufacturer, Airbus. On

27th April 2005, Airbus launched its monster of the sky, The Airbus A380. This was a dream come true for the airline as it sought to harvest from the prospects of large plane markets. They were inspired by the immense success of the Boeing 747-400, which had dominated the market, primarily due to its size.Boeing responded to this by unveiling the amazing 787 Dreamliner in 2009. It is a long-range, mid-size wide-body, twin engine airliner. It seats between 210 and 290 passengers. After the September 11 attacks in the US, most airlines in that country turned to mid-sized planes. Efficiency and fuel economy superseded speed and size in the passenger plane market. Boeing 787 Dreamliner provides just that.The Dreamliner is the company’s most

THE DREAMLINER

fuel efficient airliner. It was the first passenger plane to have composite materials in its construction. According to Boeing, the 787 consumes 20% less fuel than the similarly-sized 767. Dreamliner engineers had made a breakthrough.The 787 was designed to become the first production composite airliner, with the fuselage assembled in one-piece composite barrel sections instead of the multiple aluminium sheets and some 50,000 fasteners used on existing aircraft. By building the fuselage sections as full barrels with integrated stringers, Boeing reduced the number of parts on the airplane, improved overall aerodynamic performance, and helped make the airplane more fuel efficient than any other in its class. It is powered by two engines from different manufacturers; GEnx from the General Electric and Trent 1000 from Rolls-Royce. These engines contribute 40% of the efficiency gains, with improvement in hydraulic transmission, electrical and

light-weight contributing the rest.Among 787 flight systems, the most notable contribution to efficiency is the new electrical architecture, which replaces hydraulic power sources with electrically powered compressors and pumps, as well as completely eliminating pneumatics and hydraulics from some subsystems (e.g., engine starters or brakes). Another new system is a wing ice protection system that uses electro-thermal heater mats on the wing slats instead of hot bleed air that has been used in its previous airliners. An active gust alleviation system, similar to the system used on the B-2 bomber, improves ride quality during turbulence.Each 787 contains approximately 35 short tons (32,000 kg) of carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP), made with 23 tons of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber composites have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than traditional aircraft materials, and help make the 787 a lighter aircraft. Composites are

By Nick Muchui

AVIATION


used on fuselage, wings, tail, doors, and interior. Boeing had built and tested the first commercial aircraft composite section while studying the proposed Sonic Cruiser. The Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey military transports uses 50% composites, and the company’s C-17 transport has over 16,000 pounds (7,300 kg) of structural composites.Carbon fiber, unlike metal, does not v is ib ly show cracks and fat igue, prompting concerns about the safety risks of widespread use of the material. However, the rival Airbus A350 was later announced to be using composite panels on a frame, a more traditional approach, which its contractors regarded as less risky. In addition, the porous property of composite materials, which may cause delamination as collected moisture expands with altitude (reduction in pressure), is a potential issue. Boeing has responded by noting that composites have been used on wings and other passenger aircraft parts for many years without incident.The 787-8 is designed to seat 234 passengers in a three-class setup, 240 in two-class domestic configuration, and 296 passengers in a high-density economy arrangement. Seat rows can be arranged in four to six abreast in first or business. Cabin windows are larger in area than in all other civil air transport in-service or in development. Cabin air pressurization is provided by electrically driven compressors, rather than traditional engine-bleed air, thereby eliminating the need to cool heated air before it enters the cabin. With wide seats and aisles, large windows, a spacious architecture and advanced in-flight entertainment, the 787 Dreamliner first class will offer a luxurious experience to passengers. Passengers in all classes within the Boeing 787 Dreamliner will be able to load an 11 X 16 X 22 bag in large, drop-down bins near their seat.The plane has cruise speed of 913 km/h at 35,000 ft/10,700 m. It has a maximum speed of 954 km/h at the same altitude. Its fuel tanks can hold 126,920 litres of gasoline, half of this in the belly tank.The cost of acquiring one unit of 787-8 is US$193.5 million. The national carrier, Kenya Airways has ordered nine 787-8 Dreamliners with a possibility of

adding four in future as part of its fleet modernization and route expansion strategy. KQ intends to rest the aging 767 aircrafts once this fleet arrives. This means that KQ has parted ways with at least 1.7415 billion dollars to acquire the new planes expected in the last quarter of 2013. This amount was raised through a rights issue that was undertaken at the beginning of the year in which the airline intended to raise over 22 billion shillings. KQ will deploy the luxurious plane in its new and promising routes in Asia as well as in highly competitive African routes.

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a fourth generation (4G), wireless communications standard that’s designed to

provide up to ten times the speed of the fastest 3G network; applicable to mobile devices, smart phones, tablets, networks, notebooks and wireless hotspots. 4G technology is designed to provide higher bandwidth for IP-Based voice, data and multi-media applications at faster speeds of at least

100Mbps and up to as fast as 1Gbps.Internet users in the country are set to enjoy even faster internet speeds by the end of this year, owing to the recent approval by the treasury, of a public-private partnership to implement rolling out of the 4G LTE. The cost of the roll-out is estimated at 42 billion.To overcome the extremely high cost of rolling out the network by individual players in the market, The Treasury agreed to a consortium of nine private firms in partnership with the government to implement the LTE network. Among the parties to the consortium are the 4 main mobile telephone operators in the country, hardware manufactures; Nokia –Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, Kenya Data Networks- KDN, South African Mobile Operator-MTN, and unnamed U.S telecom firm.

4G – LTE;

Ethiopian Airlines became the first African airline to acquire the airliner on 14th Aug 2012, in Seattle, Washington. The huge purchase was funded by J.P Morgan through a loan facility of $1 billion. The fastest growing airline in Africa has placed an order of 10 such Dreamliners in this arrangement.The world air travel is set to double in every 15 years. With prospects such as the Dreamliner, Kenya Airways is stepping closer to being one of the most serious players in global commercial air travel.

AVIATION

By Tony Mugita


Ne w t e c h n o l o g i e s a n d ever-increasing human intellect have pushed the infrastructural designs to unimaginable extremes.

After the San Francisco and Hong Kong breakthroughs, the engineers are at it again. Until recently, travelling across the Atlantic Ocean was a nightmare, spending days on the over 3000 mile journey from Europe to American continents. It would take up to 42 days in a ship to cross the large water body. With the invention of jet engine, this time has been trimmed to hours. The magnificent Concorde crossed the ocean from Heathrow International Airport to land at the J.F. Kennedy International Airport in 3 hours. This was the epitome of speed. The unimaginable had been converted into reality. Concorde has, however, been decommissioned after a bloody crash in France.

However, a group of engineers at MIT are not settling for this either. They have a dream, a mega vision to transform the dreams of an engineering fiction writer, Harry Hanson into reality. In 1972, the writer predicted a long under water tunnel joining London and New York via a single tunnel supported by underwater bridges.It is a staggering project whose reality is more certain than ever. If undertaken, it will cost billions of dollars and push the world’s resources to the extreme. It is a mega-project that would require collaboration of world governments, well-wishers and the corporate world, as no single government can undertake such a project alone. Engineers have demonstrated using design models that a journey from London to New York City can be achieved in just 52 minutes. This is equal or less than the time a commuter would take to travel for from Jomo Kenyatta

THE TRANSATLANTIC TUNNEL: By Bonaventure Kabiru

International Airport to Nairobi Central Business District along the busy Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway. This simply means that a person can work in USA and reside in London and vice versa. This is what has pushed the engineers to think big. But the question in the minds of many sceptical individuals is whether the project is worth the cost.“52 minutes: the time it will take from London to New york”The project is estimated to cost over 12 trillion US dollars. This is equivalent to a combined GDP of several powerful countries in the world. It would consume all the steel produced in all the steel mills around the globe in a whole year. The amount of concrete that would be used to fabricate over 50 thousand sections is unimaginable.In the initial design process, the engineers faced numerous problems of how to lay the tunnel. The longest under-water tunnel is in San Francisco with a length

TRANSPORT FOR THE FUTURE


of 3.5 miles and mere depth of 130 feet. Construction of this tunnel pushed everyone involved to the limit. The Trans-Atlantic tunnel would simply magnify the problem a thousand and one times. The distance of the tunnel is designed to be 3100 miles and average depth of over 1000 feet. If the engineers place the tunnels on ocean floor as they have done elsewhere, the pressure on the tunnels would just crush them into pieces. In addition, the floor of the Atlantic Ocean experiences about 5 earthquakes daily. The effects of this would be catastrophic. The engineers resolved to suspend the tunnel in water at a convenient distance that does not interfere with the busy traffic on the surface, but also not too deep to face the wrath of unbearable pressure. Two ideas were proposed; to use cables anchored on the floor of the ocean or use of floaters. Floaters are widely used in offshore gas mining in Norway to support massive platforms. This idea was rejected in the case of Trans-Atlantic tunnel because due to extremely long length of the tunnel, the floaters would slowly float away. Few years ago, the Norwegian Chief Engineer of Roads Administration Havard Ostlid designed a cable suspension system anchored on the floor of the North Sea to support the large gas platforms in the North Sea. The system was successful and is in use currently in North Sea. The Trans-Atlantic tunnel engineers have opted for this design due to a number of its merits. The steel cables will be fitted with automatic motion detectors that detect any approaching object and loosen the cables to allow the tunnel to absorb the shock of the impact in case it is hit by a sub-marine or a whale. The anchored cables would also ensure that the tunnels do not move away.The tunnel is estimated to consume 1 billion tons of steel. The link will require 50 thousand sections of fabricated tunnels. The engineers usually construct such sections in a factory at the coast, pump in light gas and then close them. Due to enhanced buoyancy, these sections are pulled into their respective positions using special type of ships. They are then

positioned into place by divers or remote operated vehicles (ROVs) using global positioning system. They are tightly joined by use of powerful hydraulic jerks. Transporting sections for Trans-Atlantic tunnel will involve long distances of up to 1500 miles, a process that can take months. The engineers have proposed that the tunnel be fabricated in two sites on either side of the destinations.The sections will have a skin of stainless steel. Beneath it, there will be a layer of buoyant foam covered by another steel sheet. Then a layer of concrete will follow and this will be covered with another stainless steel. These tunnels would be two way, with another auxiliary tunnel for emergencies and repair. The workers in this project will live in the floating sections during the construction period.When completed, the sections are towed to their respective positions and joined. This will take place simultaneously on both sides. After they have been joined, all air will be sucked out to make them vacuum. Vacuum engineer at MIT Robert Childs estimates that this will take an equivalent of 100 jumbo jet engines at 4 throttles a whole 2 weeks to suck all the air out of the entire tunnel. Engineers at MIT have demonstrated that the speed of the train in the tunnel would be triple if the tunnels are made vacuum.....The Concorde crossed the distance in only three hours. For the Trans-Atlantic tunnel to be of essence, the design team has to beat this record set by the Concorde. To achieve supersonic speed, the engineers are testing an ingenious

technology developed in Germany that seeks to eliminate friction due to rails. They believe if the friction force can be made zero and combine this gain with the vacuum, they will have a frictionless device. This technology works on the magnetism. When the train is powered on, it stimulates development of great magnetic force that lifts the train by one inch. Then a wave of magnetism is developed along the path of the train, pushing the train forward. Combination of these designs can enable the train to achieve a deadly speed of 17000 miles an hour within 8 minutes. In fact, the engineers believe that there is no limit to speed. It is only affected in practice by resources and the economies in design.The train through the Trans-Atlantic tunnel will accelerate from zero to nearly a kilometre per second in 18 minutes so as to minimize the effects of G on the passengers. It will maintain at 1600 miles an hour for the next 18 minutes and finally decelerate to zero in another 18 minutes. Therefore, the journey from London to New York will take only 54 minutes.To minimize the effects of f ire in case such a catastrophe strikes, the research team is working on super fire-suppression systems to be installed along the entire length. The entire length will also be monitored on land using GPS.If this can be achieved, then the ultimate maxim ‘ENGINEERS RUN THE WORLD’ will stand undisputed for centuries to come.


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Cell: +254729073825

WanFam Clothing


USHAHIDI..!! Imagine a way for people all over the world to tell the story of what was happening to them or around them during a disaster or an emergency situation. It would need to be easy to use. Something that almost anyone can do and it would need to be deployable worldwide.That’s why Ushahidi was created, meaning, “testimony” in Swahili it was born from the post-election violence in Kenya in 2008, Ushahidi kept a number of Kenyans current on vital information and provided invaluable assistance to those providing relief.Since then Ushahidi has grown into a large open-source project impacting a number of communities around the world.

• It was deployed in the DR Congo to monitor unrest.• Al Jazeera used it to track violence in Gaza.• It was used to help monitor the 2009 Indian Elections.• And to help gather reports globally about the recent Swine Flu outbreak.

Anybody can contribute information, whether it’s a simple text message from an SMS-capable phone, a photo or video from a Smartphone, or a report submitted online, Ushahidi can gather information from any device with a digital data connection.After a report is submitted it is posted in near real-time to an interactive map that can be viewed on a computer or Smartphone.But the most powerful feature Ushahidi offers, is the ability to take the core application and deploy it yourself to suit your community’s needs. Since Ushahidi is open-source, anyone can improve the service in any way they see fit. Their growing community of developers is constantly at work improving Ushahidi to bring it to as many people as possible, including working to bring native applications to today’s most popular mobile devices.With Ushahidi, it’s easier than ever to get critical and timely information to those that need it most, on a platform that almost everybody can use.

Mobile phone users are set for a reprieve on lost data after the East African Data Handlers announced a technology

capable of recovering data from all phones used in the region.The technology is capable of recovering 100 percent of data from formatted or damaged smart phones. The introduction of this service has been necessitated by the rapid increase of high-end phones from 42 per cent in 2008 to 72 per cent this year. This means that a lot of data is being stored in these devices, thus back up is essential. But in various cases users forget backing up data or rather never back up at all. With the technology in place, either the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) or CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) for various phones, it will be very easy to get back lost data.There has been a common misconception that when a phone breaks down people tend to forget about their data and move on with the loss. East African Data Handlers has however come up with the cure to your data loss, be it logical or physical. Riding on its data recovery success and experience in recovering from failed servers, desktops, laptops and memory cards, East African Data Handlers prides itself as the experts with sufficient technology and experienced staff who are able to satisfactorily do the job. We are able to forensically recover all viewable data stored on the handset and SIM card using forensic hardware and software.

Deleted DataThe majority of data on modern mobile phones is stored on the handset memory rather than the SIM card. East African

Data Handlers are the East Africa’s leading specialist in the recovery of deleted data from handset and SIM card memory. We are able to recover any form of deleted user data from all makes of handsets including phonebook entries, call logs, text messages, pictures and videos etc.

SIM-Less HandsetsMany handsets record the details of the last inserted SIM card. Using specialist equipment we are able to recover these details and then gain access to all the user data stored on the handset including the call logs. This is useful when a handset without a SIM card inserted needs to be examined.

Security CodesMany handsets have additional security features which enable a user to password protect the data held on a handset. This prevents access to most of the user data. At East African Data Handlers, we are

able to access the memory chip and extract the password without altering any data. This allows us to enter the password as the user would to view and download the data.At East African Data Handlers you get a quick and professional service in the recovery of your data, our software and equipment are well designed to recover lost data due to system failures, formatting, power surges, accidentally deleted files, corrupted data and loss due to virus activity.

EAST AFRICAN DATA HANDLERS (K) Ltd 3rd Floor, Chiromo Court, Chiromo Road. Westlands. Nairobi(-Tel: +254 (20) 3751400 |2 | 7 | CELL: +254 725 050 728 +254 722 435 163 +254 714 613 279 [email protected] www.datarecovery.co.ke

EAST AFRICAN DATA HANDLERS TARGETS MOBILE PHONE USERS WITH ITS NEW PHONE DATA RECOVERY SERVICE

By Felix Lagoswa – Sales & Marketing Manager

USHAHIDI



I n the engineering profession, there are many hazards that engineers encounter in their day to day activities. A hazard may be defined

as anything that has the potential to cause harm. For engineers on site, hazards may include:• Movableparts.• Noise,vibrationandheat.• Nakedelectriccables.• Oilspillages• Poisonousgases• Dustyworkingenvironment• UnmaintainedmachinesNumerous cases have been reported of engineers becoming victims of unsafe working environments ranging from minor injuries to cases of fatalities. This has prompted industries to adopt a proactive approach towards handling safety at the workplace. This is because many man hours are wasted as a result of injuries sustained by the technical staff and this could translate to huge losses in the economy in general. The steps taken include measures such as dissemination of safety information, issuance of permits to work in different working environments, conducting risk assessments before an activity is

WORKING SAFELY IN THE ENGINEERING ENVIRONMENT

carried out, routine safety inspections on machines, installation of emergency switches, proper lighting of confined places among others. Firefighting equipment has also been put in place and fire exits clearly marked. Engineers are also trained on basic first aid procedures and how to handle accidents in the industry.This means engineers move from the traditional donning of helmets to a more sophisticated outlook in order to be more conscious of their safety. Thus, in the present day, engineers are required to have Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) always so as to minimize the risk of injuries. This includes the helmets, safety boots, hand gloves, goggles, ear

plugs, heavy clothing, and reflective jackets depending on the nature of the workplace. To ensure success in this venture companies now employ Safety Engineers or Safety Managers so as to implement the safety policy effectively. In addit ion to the safety pol icy, companies have also adopted the Occupational Health Policy. This determines the effect of health on work and of work on health. This is to ensure that there is no health problem that is affecting one’s ability to work. The measures that have been put in place have been successful in reducing the workplace accidents but a lot needs to be done on the attitudes of individuals if at all zero accidents is to be realized. This is because the attitude may be fixated on getting the job done rather than doing it safely. Thus it is important for engineers to understand that doing the work safely is more important than beating deadlines. This is because doing the job in haste while not caring about safety may have far reaching implications in one’s career and the future of the nation as a whole.So Engineers, Stay Safe. Your safety is your life.

By Fredrick Kitsao

It is important for engineers to understand

that doing the work safely is more important than beating

deadlines

ENGINEER SAFETY

konza city

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