How many times have you left your house, only to realise you left a light on?

Or have you ever wondered whether you have done everything you could to secure your home while you’re away or just at home with your family?

This is what was on 24-year-old Michael Mwasela’s mind before he embarked on a journey that would end up with developing a smart mobile solution that would save, not only his family, but also friends and strangers from unwarranted powerbills and keep their homes secure from invasions.

From switching lights off to scheduling appliances to switch on so others believe you are in the house, his innovation serves multiple security purposes.

With the mobile application dubbed House automation assistance microdam App, Mwasela is now able to switch off and on his house lights at a click of a button on his phone wherever he is away from home.

 “The solution enables you to easily monitor and control light, temperature, energy consumption, and electrical devices through an app.

This leads to reduced energy consumption and energy savings, as much as up to 30 per cent, while still maintaining a high level of comfort,” Mwasela explains.

After pandemic struck 

He says his passion to become a computer engineer came forth when he was first admitted at Kwale High School, Kwale county in 2010, but only reignited it last year when the Coronavirus pandemic struck.

“Early this year, when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country, I found himself idle.

I had no job and all I could do was stay indoors, watch TV, eat and sleep,” says the bachelor’s degree holder in electronics and computer engineering at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and technology where he graduated in 2019.

User changing demands 

This is where his brain rolled. He started burning midnight oil in his house cum workshop made of corrugated iron sheet located in the Changamwe Housing Finance estate, developing the Mobile App using the knowledge he gained from the university. 

Once fully actualised, Mwasela says the app could revolutionise how Kenyans manage their home security and lighting affairs remotely.

 He says safety, comfort, energy saving, communication and video door entry are all integrated into a single system, which continually adapts to the user’s changing demands.

“I got into this innovation to cut the cost of power, it is also set to improve security in estates as the app can detect human activity around your compound while you monitor all activities through your phone,” says Mwasela.

The system is connected to a motor controller device that transfers data to the mobile application where you can manage the system through the phone.

“Currently because we don’t have all the necessary equipment, it can operate within a range of 15-20 meters away from the house using a bluetooth technology.

If you are far away it will require you to use internet connectivity in your phone,” said Mwasela.

“It is currently a prototype and for one to buy subscriptions, it costs Sh5,000.

But upon improvement we can sell it to big companies and individuals who want to secure their premises,” he adds.

Although Mwasela has managed to register a company dubbed Microdam Telecomm Limited, alongside with eight other youths, who are students from different universitiesand colleges pursuiing different courses in Mombasa to steer his innovation dream forward, his dream has remained unrealised owing to lack of financial support to actualise his dreams.

His student partners, include Violet Wawera, a Bachelor of Commerce in finance student at JKUAT, Daniel Gitahi Bachelor of Science and Information Technology JKUAT, Joseph Disho of Kenya Coast National Polytechnic, Mombasa,Wyne Omondi, a Bachelor of Economics student at Kenyatta University, Mombasa campus.

His hopes are now pegged on Mombasa county government who have showcased interest to embrace the system for their street lighting project because it helps detect and transmit information on lighting systems.