Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe on Friday received three smart “anti-epidemic” robots from the United Nation Development Program (UNDP) Kenya to aid the country’s fight against covid-19.
The robots, which were made by Chinese robotics company UBtech, have been given names wich are: Jasiri, Shujaa and Tumaini which is a nod to the zealous characters epitomised by healthcare workers who have been on the frontline in the fight against the disease since last year.
These robots have the capacity to scan between 10 to 100 people per minute from a distance of up to 3.5 meters, which limits direct contact. They will also be used to disinfect public places like hospitals and airports and also to provide information on covid-19 updates.
The robots can also carry out tasks such as identifying individuals without masks or those who have them on improperly and issue alerts to the individual and officials for immediate corrective procedures.
They also record video, audio and thermal data which are then sent to manning authorities which is normally followed by immediate disinfection.
“As we deploy this technology today, I have every confidence that our travelers and tourists visiting Kenya will appreciate the ability of these robots to fast track traveler clearance at the airports,” Mr Kagwe said.
Mr Kagwe also put forth that the robots will supplement other technologies that have already been put in place to help stem the spread of the disease, highlighting the Jitenge contact tracing app that his ministry has praised as a game changer in combating the virus.
“In launching the Jitenge app, which is supposed to be used across the entire continent, there was a lot of opposition and all sorts of scandals created around it that we are supposed to be paying “gazillions” of money to Africa CDC which is untrue because we have paid absolutely nothing. But we are using this app so that we have an Africa-wider approach in combating this disease (Covid-19),” Mr Kagwe stated.
The Jitenge app was developed in Kenya in June last year and helps in contact tracing by allowing health officials to track a person’s movements and who they come into contact with, which gives officials a critical tool for limiting the spread of the virus.