How social media enabled Bungoma boy, 14, to become innovative

As many young people squander time on social media platforms, Ethan Simiyu, 14, from Sikata village, Kanduyi Constituency Bungoma County maximises to research and learn.

Simiyu, who just concluded his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) 2023 at Christ the King Primary school, bagged 410 marks and wishes to become a software engineer after completion of his secondary education.

Simiyu told The Star he spent the holiday doing research online about engineering and has developed a hydraulic arm.

“During my online research on the internet I was able to get knowledge and came up with my own hydraulic arm that can be used to lift objects from one point to the other,” he said, the village home in Sikata.

Simiyu said he used locally available materials to come up with the hydraulic arm.

The materials included wood, syringes, tubes, crews and his own innovative gear that is used to move the machine at the base.

He said that when different syringes are pressed or pulled they move the hydraulic in any direction the operator needs, adding that passion is what propelled him to come up with his machine.

“I made it because I wanted to investigate the mechanics behind it,” he said.

He told the Star that the stability of the base determines the weight of the load to be lifted by the arm.

The top scorer asserted that his parents were of much importance during the time he was designing his project.

“All this research I have used my mum’s and dad’s phones, my father used his cash to buy me the materials I needed,” he said, noting that the disadvantage of the machine is that it cannot lift heavy loads because it is made up of the plastic syringes.

He argues that his innovation is different from other Robot arms in that; he personally invented two wooden gears connected to one of the syringes, the gears enabling the arm to rotate up to 240 degrees.

 Simiyu affirmed that in future intends to come up with other projects like drones.

“My research won’t end here, I’m still researching how to come up with a drone using locally available materials,” he said. He also encouraged fellow students to utilise social media platforms to benefit themselves.

He called on area leaders to sponsor him so that he could perfect his research work.

Antony Fungututi, his father, said his son’s talents started when he was still young, revealing that he used to dismantle toys and assemble the parts again.

“My son’s passion for doing engineering work has not started recently, he used to dismantle toys, Radios and other items in the house and assemble them later and they would work normally,” he said.

Fungututi said he always gave him support to come up with his engineering works.

Alice Ndombi, the mother, said that her son would benefit more if he could have attended the competency-based curriculum (CBC).

Furthermore, Alice said that Simiyu uses science principles to come up with his projects, calling on science technicians to help her son grow.

Stephen Chamigere, Simiyu's former headteacher at Christ the King Primary School, said while at school, Simiyu was bright and best in mathematics and sciences subjects.

“Since class six this child has been very impressive, his performance in mathematics and sciences has been excellent,” Chamigere said.

He said Simiyu has been good at explaining mathematics to his fellow pupils in class.

He said that Simiyu scored 88 per cent in Mathematics and 75 per cent in science.

He has been offered scholarship to join Light International Academy in Nairobi and also  Kabianga National School.

In the 2022 National examination, Christ the King Primary School produced the top candidate in the Country being the best school in the region.