Kyambogo Graduate’s Cooking Gas Fire Innovation Gets Government Protection

What the report says

Engineer Timothy Obbo’s cooking gas fire-suppression invention has been granted government intellectual property protection, according to Nile Post, in a development that moves the project from a Kyambogo University engineering idea toward potential commercial use. The Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB) issued a Utility Model Certificate to Obbo and Kyambogo University for an Automated Cooking Gas Fire Suppression System designed to detect and respond to fires involving liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG.

The certificate, which the report says was seen by Nile Post, was granted on June 18, 2026, after an application filed the previous day. The registration gives legal protection under Uganda’s Industrial Property Act and creates a basis for further development of the system. Nile Post reports that the invention combines fire detection, automatic response and remote monitoring, using infrared flame sensors and a microcontroller to activate suppression mechanisms when a fire is detected.

Obbo graduated from Kyambogo University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Science in Process and Chemical Engineering and was later recognised by the Engineers Registration Board for his academic performance. While at university, he displayed the prototype at events including National Science Week, a National Council for Higher Education exhibition and a Kyambogo Oil and Gas Skills Expo. The university’s Faculty of Engineering, including lecturer and patents coordinator Eng. Mercy Kitimbo Asiku, supported the effort to secure protection.

The report says the innovation is intended for use in homes, industry and other settings that rely on cooking gas. More broadly, it reflects growing interest in turning university research into practical technologies, particularly in fire safety and Uganda’s developing oil and gas sector.