CS Kagwe launches robots to boost fight against COVID-19

Kenya is set to benefit from anti-epidemic robots officially launched in Nairobi.

The three smart anti-epidemic robots: Shujaa, Jasiri and Tumaini, will be stationed at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) and the Kenyatta National Hospital.

The robots are intended to reduce contact between people, and help in maintaining social distances between high potential people, suspected to be infected, and health workers.

“We will be deploying these robots to Kenyatta National Hospital where, as in Rwanda’s case they will reduce exposure of health workers to Covid-19 patients, and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport where they will assist in temperature screening, disinfection, communication of health messages and data capture,” said CS Kagwe.

With both wide-angle and long reach, the robotics can measure the temperature of 10 to 100 persons per minute: at a distance of 2.5 – 3.5 metres, saving time, while safely protecting frontline workers from secondary transmission of COVID-19.

The robots are part of a partnership between the Ministry of Health and UNDP, with funding from the Japanese government, at the cost of Ksh.240 million.

The Health CS explained the naming of the robots stating: ” Jasiri is in honor of the courage it takes for our health workers to serve the nation while risking their own lives while Shujaa represents not only the 32 HCWs we have lost so far but also those of us that continue to heed the protective measures we propagate daily.”

“And as for Tumaini, he represents our hope —our collective hope that through our continued adherence to the rules and our inoculation against COVID-19,” he added.