School of Computing & Informatics Exhibitions
AI4KSL is a Maseno Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (MCAAI) project building an assistive AI model for Kenyan Sign Language. The model translates spoken and written text into KSL using virtual signing avatars, giving deaf learners direct visual access to content that would otherwise reach them only through text.
The model incorporates local languages alongside English, including Kiswahili, Dholuo, Kikuyu and Maasai etc, extending its reach across Kenya's linguistic diversity rather than treating KSL translation as a single-language problem.
Development has followed three stages. First, building a dataset pairing spoken and written language with video-recorded KSL. Second, developing the AI model that renders this input as signed output through a virtual avatar. Third, evaluating and testing the model with deaf learners and educators in real classrooms, with community engagement built into every stage of development.
AI4KSL works to bridge the language barrier for hearing impaired learners and educators in Kenyan institutions. At its core, the project champions inclusivity, built on the belief that "Sign language is a language".
SAUTI FARM
SautiFarm is a student-led AgriTech innovation developed by Enactus Maseno University to bridge the gap between modern agricultural intelligence and smallholder farmers. The project began as SmartFarm Web, a web-based agricultural advisory platform developed by students to explore how digital technologies could improve access to farming information. Through continuous research, field engagement, and technological advancement, the platform evolved into SautiFarm, a multilingual artificial intelligence-powered agricultural system designed to reach farmers through voice calls, SMS, and WhatsApp.
SautiFarm pioneers a first-of-its-kind approach to agricultural extension by combining conversational Artificial Intelligence with multilingual voice technology, SMS, and WhatsApp into a single, inclusive advisory platform tailored for smallholder farmers. Rather than relying on smartphone applications or internet connectivity, the platform enables farmers to access personalized, real-time agricultural expertise through the communication channels they already use every day. This innovative approach makes advanced AI accessible to even the most underserved farming communities, setting a new benchmark for digital agriculture in Kenya and across Africa.
Developed by students of Maseno University, SautiFarm was created to address the barriers that prevent many rural farmers from accessing timely agricultural information, including limited internet connectivity, low smartphone ownership, and language differences. By enabling farmers to interact with the platform in local languages, SautiFarm delivers real-time guidance on crop management, weather-informed planting, pest and disease diagnosis, climate-smart farming practices, and market information through technologies already familiar to farming communities.
Muraran Timothy Kiprotich
Project Lead, SautiFarm
President, Enactus Maseno University
Email: murarantimothy@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/muraran-timothy/