Friday’s field day included meetings with many US technology businesses and investors for President William Ruto.

He traveled to Silicon Valley in San Francisco and talked with executives from companies like Microsoft, Intel, Google, and Apple among others in an effort to advance Kenya’s progress in technological innovation.

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, Pat Gelsinger, Ruth Porat, the CFO of Google, and executives from Nike, GAP, and Levi Strauss were all people Ruto met.

President William Ruto, US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman, Foreign CS Alfred Mutua at Silicon Valley in San Francisco on September 15, 2023
Image: PCS

The Head of State bragged of Kenya’s potential as the innovation capital of the continent and pleaded with global tech companies to invest there as the “gateway to the Silicon Savannah.”

“Kenya is your gateway to the Silicon Savannah, to the East African Community, the most integrated regional market of 500 million, and a Pan-African market of 1.4 billion. If you build it in Kenya, it works for Africa, and if you set up in Kenya, your African footprint is guaranteed,” Ruto stated.

President William Ruto visitng the Silicon Valley in San Francisco on September 15, 2023.

Further, the President praised Google for “actively contributing to Kenya’s development by granting Sh600 million (USD 5M) to enhance connectivity for crucial citizen services, assist in the creation of affordable smartphone devices, and support SMEs through the Google Hustle Academy.”

Apple and the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) are collaborating, according to Ruto, to advance healthcare innovation and technology in the nation.

President William Ruto visitng the Silicon Valley in San Francisco on September 15, 2023: Image: PCS

“I believe that contact with such companies as Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Google and Intel provide a firm grounding for our future tech entrepreneurs in an environment where possibilities continuously germinate and thrive, thus enriching Kenya’s entrepreneurial dynamism,” he said.

The roadshow aims at showcasing opportunities for technology companies to explore doing business and investing in Kenya.

President William Ruto is in San Francisco for an investment conference with leading IT businesses in the USA.

In an effort to convince them to invest in Kenya, the President will meet with senior executives from leading tech companies, including Apple, Intel, Microsoft, and Google.

The purpose of the trip is to improve trade and business prospects with the US.

It presents a chance to support Kenya’s burgeoning startup community, dubbed as the “Silicon Savannah.”

Ruto left the nation on Wednesday night for a visit to the United States where he will highlight Kenya’s dedication to technological innovation.

The President will attend the 78th United Nations General Assembly in New York City, according to State House spokesman Hussein Mohamed.

“Additionally, the Head of State will participate in the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit, building on the successes of the recently concluded Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi,” the spokesperson added.

He said the President will chair a session of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change on the sidelines of the General Assembly.

Mary Muthoni arrives at a roadside garage in Roysambu, Nairobi’s Kasarani area, on a sweltering Friday midmorning. Her vehicle, a red Nissan Juke, requires the removal of its catalytic converter.

The woman in her middle age expresses concern over her car’s loss of power while overtaking on the highway, deeming it risky. She has been advised by a friend to remove the muffler (catalytic converter) for optimal performance. This friend had already done so with her own vehicle.

“I must have it removed. Otherwise, I fear for my life when I am unable to overtake and avoid oncoming vehicles,” insists Muthoni, displaying unwavering determination to have the catalytic converter removed.

However, the mechanic, Samuel Maina, firmly refuses to comply with her request.

Muthoni joins the growing number of car owners who voluntarily seek the removal of their vehicles’ catalytic converters, despite warnings from experts regarding their role in filtering harmful toxins from exhaust emissions, which contribute to air pollution.

In some cases, drivers mistakenly confuse catalytic converters with sound-absorbing devices, believing that their removal will give their vehicles the distinctive sound of a Subaru on the roads.

The toxic substances released from burning fuel are sifted through by the catalytic converters. These converters eliminate the minute harmful particles known as particulate matter, which pose a threat to the environment.

If these unseen particles are emitted, they can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs, leading to respiratory illnesses that may prove fatal in the long term. They are measured in micrometers and can either be 2.5 micrometers or 10 micrometers, hence referred to as PM2.5 and PM10 respectively.

PM2.5 particles are so minuscule that they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. There is ample evidence that prolonged exposure to PM2.5 can have detrimental effects on health over extended periods (years).

Maina states that he would not remove the catalytic converter unless he knew who Muthoni was and why she required its removal.

However, in certain cases, unauthorized mechanics have been stealing catalytic converters without the knowledge of car owners, as it has become a lucrative venture.

“This has become a valuable commodity, and anyone can pretend to be a customer interested in having the muffler removed, only to turn around and apprehend you. Removing it is against the law, and unless you are acquainted with the owner and can agree on its sale, it is a risky endeavor. One kilogram is valued between Sh30,000 and Sh40,000,” explains Maina as he leans against an electric pole, still hesitant to remove the catalytic converter.

Maina further claims that these converters are utilized in the production of bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which is why the police arrest those involved in their theft and sale.

“However, due to instances where catalytic converters are removed without the knowledge of car owners, some of them ask the mechanic to remove it and sell it, rather than risk it being stolen,” clarifies Maina.

A study conducted by Harvard University reveals that catalytic converters employ a catalyst, typically a precious metal such as platinum or palladium, to accelerate the chemical reaction between oxygen and air pollutants. They convert these pollutants into less harmful byproducts like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen gas.

“The passage of exhaust fumes through a metal enclosure coated with the catalyst can eliminate up to 98% of pollutants from them, and regulations mandating the installation of catalytic converters on vehicles and smokestacks have significantly enhanced air quality in cities worldwide since the 1970s,” states the study.

George Mwaniki, the director of Air Quality for Africa at World Resources Institute in Nairobi, explains that catalytic converters are designed to trap most of the air pollutants within the vehicle, preventing their release into the environment. Removing them means that pollutants are directly emitted into the atmosphere, exacerbating air pollution.

“Emissions from a vehicle, whose catalytic converters has been removed are potent air pollutants and they include particulate matter which drives more than 70% of health complication emerging from air pollution. Other pollutants such as volatile organic compounds are very hazardous and are a leading cause of various types of cancers and other major health complications. A vehicle whose catalytic converter is in place significantly reduces the emissions of these pollutants and therefore safeguards human health and ecosystem integrity,” Mwaniki says.

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) carried out a study that estimated tailpipe emissions to account for roughly 361,000 premature deaths from ambient PM2.5 and ozone worldwide, with that number rising to roughly 385,000 in 2015. Furthermore, exhaust from on-road diesel vehicles accounted for roughly 181,000 premature deaths worldwide.

James Mutua says Grogon is the headquarters for the removal of the mufflers.

“You won’t miss a day without seeing a mechanic being chased by Flying Squad that he has removed a muffler. It’s very common here. I can guarantee you though; you will never get to see the muffler after it’s removed. They wrap it up in a carrier bag and is taken away within minutes if not seconds,” Mutua says.

“Emissions from a vehicle, whose catalytic converters has been removed are potent air pollutants and they include particulate matter which drives more than 70% of health complication emerging from air pollution. Other pollutants such as volatile organic compounds are very hazardous and are a leading cause of various types of cancers and other major health complications. A vehicle whose catalytic converter is in place significantly reduces the emissions of these pollutants and therefore safeguards human health and ecosystem integrity,” Mwaniki says.

The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) carried out a study that estimated tailpipe emissions to account for roughly 361,000 premature deaths from ambient PM2.5 and ozone worldwide, with that number rising to roughly 385,000 in 2015. Furthermore, exhaust from on-road diesel vehicles accounted for roughly 181,000 premature deaths worldwide.

James Mutua says Grogon is the headquarters for the removal of the mufflers.

“You won’t miss a day without seeing a mechanic being chased by Flying Squad that he has removed a muffler. It’s very common here. I can guarantee you though; you will never get to see the muffler after it’s removed. They wrap it up in a carrier bag and is taken away within minutes if not seconds,” Mutua says.