Kyambogo University is steadily progressing into an innovation hub with students and staff unrelentingly innovating nearly about anything and everything.

Kyambogo University scooped two best awards for becoming the best and the second best in different innovative items. The event was held at Serena Hotel. Kyambogo University triumphed over universities including Makerere University, Uganda Christian University and Kampala International University. Makerere University emerged third after the first two best awards were taken by Kyambogo University

Hon. Godfrey Kiwanda, the State Minister for Tourism who was the Chief Guest appreciated Kyambogo University for the creativity and innovativeness they exhibited during the innovation challenge at Serena hotel, emerging the best and second-best universities in the inter universities innovations challenge.  He thanked them for helping the government to fight against degradation by putting wastes like abandoned bottles and using sand and other wastes to make tiles.

Who are these heroes and heroines?

Ampumuza Junior, Namugaga Linah, Musiwa Joel, Baguma Kasumba Devis and Kihembo Saviour are students of Bachelor of Environmental Science Technology and Management.  These students, true to their slogan: Save the Earth, care about the environment and want to reduce plastic waste accumulation, reduce excessive sand mining in lakes. They hope this project of turning plastic garbage to tiles will help them achieve their objectives as they get more plastic garbage off the streets and putting them to better use.

Currently, they manually use plastic garbage, turning it into tiles. Their hope is to up their game a notch higher by developing yet another innovation; an App that will electronically ease this process.  “We are developing an App that is going to help us with where and when to collect the plastic garbage and how to connect with the people who’ve plastics to sell. “ Ampumuza Junior, one of these innovators narrated. They use two types of plastics: high-density polythene which includes Polythene bags, films and water bags and low-density polythene that include basins, jerry cans, plastic cups amongst others. When collected these plastics are melted at 120-180oC.

In the process of making the tiles, they use Lake Sand for fire retardation. The group says they use considerably a less amount of Sand compared to the usual tiles. “This type of tiles uses little sand and maintains the quality with strong adhesiveness that stands the test of time.” N Linah explained.  They mix the sand with the already melted plastics giving them shiny new tiles at the end of the process.

A one Kihembo Saviour says these tiles will be relatively cheaper and can be managed by the people back in rural areas. “Regarding the fact that most of the materials are cheap, we won’t be hiking the cost.” She said.