What Kenya’s new law says about human-wildlife conflict compensation, poaching

Kenyan teen innovators Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo won the The Earth Prize Africa region award for HewaSafi, a low-cost vehicle exhaust filter made from farm waste. The 17-year-old students received a $12,500 (KSh 1.6 million) prize for turning agricultural refuse into a climate solution. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Innovation Details

The Creators: Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo, students at M-PESA Foundation Academy.
The Invention: HewaSafi (meaning "clean air" in Swahili), an exhaust filter for minibuses.
Materials Used: Locally sourced maize cobs, coconut shells, and living spirulina algae.
Performance: Cuts PM2.5 particulate matter by 93.3% and carbon monoxide by 42%.
Cost: Around $126 per unit, much cheaper than commercial options. [1, 2]

Award and Next Steps

The Prize: Named the Africa regional winner of The Earth Prize 2026, bagging $12,500 in funding and mentorship.
Production Plans: Partnering with local craftspeople to build 1,200 filters.
Testing: Teaming up with the matatu owners' association to test the filters on 200 vehicles.