The overall winners receive a full Scholarship to Strathmore University and a fully paid trip to Ireland to participate in the BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition.
Students Iyad Taher and Tanvi Hirani have been crowned Young Scientists of the Year for showcasing the best innovation at the 2019 Young Scientist Kenya (YSK) National Science & Technology Exhibition.
Their winning innovation, a Universal Healthcare system, seeks to enable the government and relevant agencies to solve health-related challenges affecting the country. It is established in line with the governments big four agenda on Healthcare.
The two, from SCLP Samaj School, were among 500 students from all the 47 counties who submitted 235 groundbreaking projects and showcased them at the five days YSK exhibition powered by BLAZE that ended last evening at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
They were closely followed by first runners up Sophia Ndunge and Brenda Nkara from Daraja Secondary School with their Homemade Lift pump innovation which seeks to ease access to borehole water. The pump can be made at home with readily available material.
Present at the closing ceremony of the exhibition, His Excellency the Deputy President Dr. William Ruto said for the country to realise its Vision 2030 there is need to increase intake of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical courses.
“We have a disproportionate focus on the arts and social sciences which do not speak to the core of our development agenda. We must develop bigger interests in STEM courses, which provide critical skills sets, to change our development trajectory,” said Deputy President Dr. William Ruto
Showcased ideas at the exhibition cut through Biology and Ecological sciences, Chemical, Physical and Mathematics Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and Technology categories.
“As a company whose growth is driven by innovation, we are excited by the reception of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and we believe that with the right support, Kenya’s position as Africa’s innovation hub is guaranteed,” said Sylvia Mulinge, Chief Customer Officer, Safaricom.
While opening the exhibition, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the Ministry of Education and that of Industry, Trade, and Cooperatives to develop a framework to secure the Intellectual Property rights of the Students’ ideas that were presented.
“I also direct Kenya Intellectual rights office to patent viable innovations generated during the past, present and future YSK exhibition free of charge,” said President Uhuru Kenyatta.
In its second year running, YSK has since scaled its programme from 10 counties in 2018 to all 47 counties in 2019, reaching a total of over 45,000 students across the country.
The scale-up is aimed at inspiring students to take STEM and pursue the STEM pathways through outreach, linkages, and extension programmes, and showcase their innovations for further research and commercialization.
The overall winners took home KES 100,000, a scholarship to Strathmore University, mobile phones from BLAZE, and a trip to Ireland to participate in the 2020 BT Young Scientists and Technology Exhibition.
On the other hand, the first runners-up walked away with KES 80,000, mobile phones from BLAZE, and a fully paid trip to France.
![Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) today announces the Colorado XL-series, a new platform of 3.4m printers that extends the proven advantages of Canon's UVgel technology to the 3.2m graphics market. Available in hybrid and roll-to-roll configurations, the modular, field upgradable platform powered by UVgel technology delivers great versatility and exceptional productivity for both flexible and rigid media applications from signage and décor to point of sale and packaging. The Colorado XL-series comprises two easy-to-operate models: the Colorado XL7 roll-to-roll printer and Colorado XL7 hybrid printer. The new series brings the benefits of UVgel to a new market segment with exceptional application versatility across a comprehensive range of media – from banner, paper, vinyl and films to soft signage, heat-sensitive materials, foam board, fluted polypropylene, acrylic, aluminium composite boards and cardboard – providing the flexibility to tackle diverse customer requirements. With print speeds of 70m² per hour in quality mode, 106m² per hour in production mode and up to 211m² per hour in express mode, the system delivers the productivity needed for demanding production environments while accommodating substrates up to 52mm/2 inches thick for rigid applications. The new platform includes multiple technology innovations, such as the UVgel 860 ink set, which has been optimised to cover a wide variety of both rigid and flexible applications. It also provides the proven benefits of UVgel: odourless and instant-dry prints, high mechanical and chemical robustness, dimensional stability due to low-temperature curing, excellent colour consistency, TPO [1] - and VCL [2] -free, and matte and gloss finish without the need of a separate varnish. The Colorado XL-series also incorporates new UVgel 850 PrintHeads. Each printhead has 4,544 nozzles and features automated built-in nozzle performance monitoring and compensation. A single printhead supports two colours simultaneously, so that only two printheads are required to print CMYK, plus an optional third if white is configured. Additionally, the Colorado XL-series has an agile and precise printhead carriage that features UVgel DynamicMotion Control to ensure exceptional print quality even with challenging media. Taking the UV LED curing process to the next level, the Colorado XL-series introduces UVgel FullBeam Curing. This technology uses a unique 3.4-metre-wide LED curing array that, combined with an ingenious mirror system, delivers consistent UV light dosing across the entire print width, guaranteeing exceptional print uniformity over large surfaces and enabling a wider colour gamut. Media handling is optimised by the new UVgel TRIdrive vacuum belt system, which features three interactive rollers and multiple powerful vacuum zones that reduce wrinkling and skewing by automatically detecting and correcting the media positioning. This results in highly repeatable media transport through the printer, ensuring accurate positioning both longitudinally and laterally and enabling razor-sharp applications. Optional features for the Colorado XL-series, which are already available on the highly successful and modular Colorado M-series, include: UVgel White for hassle-free white printing, FLXfinish+ for creative effects using matte or gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print without additional varnish, and FLXture for textured finishes that mimic materials like leather, wood or fabric. Mathew Faulkner, Director, Marketing & Innovation, Wide Format Printing Group, Canon EMEA, comments: "For the past decade, Canon has been at the forefront of the inkjet evolution in large format, with market-leading technologies including the Colorado roll-to-roll printer series powered by UVgel technology and the Arizona flatbed printers. Large format print providers are looking for systems that deliver high productivity, versatile applications and reliable quality while addressing the challenge of finding skilled operators – which is why Canon is launching our new, breakthrough Colorado XL-series, an addition to our portfolio that will set a new standard in productivity and versatility. “This innovative solution brings the proven advantages of our unique UVgel technology to the 3.2m market for the first time, combining it with extensive automation and a modular design that will enable customers to extend their application possibilities into markets such as packaging and décor. Print service providers already producing high-value signage and graphics can now leverage UVgel's distinctive finishes, including mixed gloss and matte effects and textured printing, at scale to stand out in these new markets. And with its hybrid capabilities, users can print both roll-to-roll and rigid applications on the same device, using the same ink, the same colour profiles and the same unique features and finishes. For brands, for example, this translates to seamless campaigns that span the full spectrum of applications, ensuring perfect consistency across campaign assets whether they're roll-fed graphics, rigid signage, packaging, or décor elements. This is particularly valuable when these different applications appear side by side in-store, where maintaining that consistent quality and finish elevates the entire brand experience that today's brands demand." The Colorado XL-series will be available from the beginning of 2026 via Canon’s direct sales organisations as well as from accredited partners. For more information about the Colorado XL-series, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/3WltKtM](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/canon_prograf-218x150.png "Canon expands large format graphics production portfolio with new 3.4m Colorado XL-series")
