The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology

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Development of cloud-based integrated information system for car rental services: a case of Solidarity Car Rental Limited
(NM-AIST, 2025-07) Tuyambaze, Thacianne
Car rental businesses increasingly adopt digital technologies to enhance their operations, particularly through mobile applications and integrated information systems. This project focuses on addressing the specific operational challenges faced by Solidarity Car Rental, which, despite its use of digital tools, continues to encounter issues like overlapping bookings, weak system coordination, and limited customer feedback management. To resolve these challenges, a cloud-based, all-in-one information system was designed and implemented for the company. The project followed a mixed-methods approach, utilizing interviews, focus group discussions, and structured surveys for data collection. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics with Microsoft Excel. Findings indicated that the developed system enables customers to easily browse car options, reserve vehicles, and complete secure payments via a mobile app. Internally, it enhances efficiency by automating tasks such as invoicing, generating real-time reports, and managing fleet operations. Data protection is ensured through encryption and secure payment systems. The use of Microsoft Azure supports scalability and integration, while SMS notifications improve communication with clients. As a result, Solidarity Car Rental has experienced reduced delays, higher customer satisfaction, and streamlined processes. The system proves to be a transformative tool that not only modernizes operations but also boosts competitiveness and revenue generation in Tanzania’s car rental sector
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IoT-based system for maintaining constant taste of ginger-flavored alcohol in Eden Business Center (Rwanda)
(NM-AIST, 2025-07) Ingabire, Speciose
The flavoured alcohol industry in Rwanda faces challenges in maintaining consistent taste profiles, particularly in ginger-flavored alcohol. Eden Business Company (EBC) relies on manual ingredient measurement and fermentation testing, leading to time-consuming processes and human errors. While technological solutions such as Metal Oxide Sensors (MOS), Electronic Tongue, and Robotic Pourer (RoboBEER) have been introduced, they lack real-time intervention and notification mechanisms. This project developed a cost-effective and versatile system to monitor and control key parameters of ginger beer fermentation, including temperature, potential of hydrogen (pH), alcohol concentration, and ingredient levels. The system integrates SD18B20, pH sensors, and a refractometer to collect data, which is processed by an ESP32 microcontroller. The GSM module, buzzer, and LCD enable real-time notifications, alerts, and data display. Additionally, a load cell ensures precise ingredient measurement. The collected data is sent to the ThingSpeak webpage for remote monitoring. The results demonstrated 90% efficiency and reliability in maintaining a consistent ginger flavour. Observations showed a temperature range of 23–37℃, an alcohol level of 5.5%, and a pH of 4.0, ensuring flavour consistency. The system successfully enabled real-time monitoring and remote access, improving production accuracy and efficiency.
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Development of a mobile-based climate information and advisory system for crop management: a case of Musanze District, Rwanda
(NM-AIST, 2025-08) Angelique, Mukaneza
Mobile applications and internet access enable climate change adaptations. Climatic information services package and deliver climatic data to customers, including temperature, rainfall, wind, and soil moisture. In Rwanda, farmers are accessing climate information through radios, television, trained agents through the Rwanda Meteorological Agency, and by weather applications. However, farmers claim that because of weak dissemination channels and not interacting, they are facing the main challenges in making decisions at the right time for achieving sustainable food production and security, which provides lower incomes and famine to society. We developed a bilingual (Kinyarwanda and English) mobile application using the Flutter framework with a Firebase backend to address these challenges. We integrated the Open Weather API for real-time and forecast data. An SMS gateway was incorporated to ensure notifications reach farmers even in low-connectivity areas. The system was evaluated in Musanze District, where it delivered current and forecast temperatures between 15.5 ℃ and 21.9 ℃, overcast or rainy skies, 55 % humidity, 801.5 hPa pressure, 1.5 m/s wind speed, sunrise at 07:04 AM, and sunset at 07:06 PM directly to users’ devices. Problem reporting and real-time conversation with agronomic officers provided individualized advising help. The Dfarmer app enabled farmers to make timely decisions and increase crop output by providing interactive climatic information and advisory services in their local area.
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Information system for enhancing communication between members of parliament and citizens: a study of Dodoma, Tanzania
(NM-AIST, 2025-08) Mtoi, Mary
The evolution of information systems, including the internet and smart devices, has transformed the way we communicate, access information, and connect with others. Communication between members of parliament (MPs) and citizens in Tanzania remains ineffective due to the reliance on mainly formal traditional channels such as public meetings, physical visits, local government leaders, opinion boxes, visitor books, letters, broadcast media, and social media. These methods are often hindered by poor attendance, delays, unavailability of members of parliament, high costs, and limited access to smart devices and the internet. Findings revealed that 42.9% of citizens took more than three days to submit their concerns, 30.3% had never submitted, and 69% cited MP unavailability as the main challenge, highlighting agreement from both citizens and MPs that existing methods create serious obstacles. A literature review was conducted to identify technological gaps, revealing that many proposed solutions are inaccessible to users without internet-connected devices. This study developed the Public Participation Information System (PPIS). This hybrid platform combines a web application for online users with a two-way messaging system to include those without internet access or smart devices. The two-way messaging feature ensures inclusivity and timely, interactive communication for all citizens and includes Swahili and English support, with simple SMS interactions designed to accommodate users with limited internet access and low literacy levels. Furthermore, a mixed research method was used to gather system requirements from 177 participants, including both members of parliament and citizens. Findings showed that 89.1% of citizens and 98.3% of MPs were willing to adopt the system. The PPIS improved message delivery accuracy, reduced response time, and enabled citizens to track their concerns. PPIS uniquely bridges digital divides by offering inclusive two-way communication, enhancing accessibility, accountability, and citizen participation in governance, which demonstrates readiness for pilot deployment.
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Deep learning-based robot for visual inspection and picking of rejected bottles: case study, Tanzania Breweries, Arusha
(NM-AIST, 2025-07) Nganyi, Jared
The current picking of rejected items in Tanzania Breweries, a food and beverage manufacturing industry in the East African (EA) region, is performed by picking rejected bottles by hand, as evidenced during this study. This being repetitive work, hence necessitated the development of an articulated industrial robotic arm prototype mimicking human behavior in picking rejected bottles that have been removed by the Empty Bottle Inspection (EBI) system due to quality non-conformity. The project requirements were obtained through quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection. Computer vision mathematical approaches were formulated that utilized Hue Situation and Value (HSV) as the key element and employed object detection through blob analysis using Gaussian blur function, erosion and dilation algorithms, moment analysis, inverse kinematics for pose estimation, and sinewave filtering functions. These were deployed in the edge computing device. The test findings revealed that the system, though implemented on an edge device, had a high throughput with the central processing unit (CPU) of about 70% to 83%, and about 1000 to 1200 megabits of random accessary memory (RAM) utilization. The pick and place speed were achieved faster than the human speed with a latency of about 100 milliseconds. In conclusion, the use of finite resource devices in yielding high throughput is notably an indication of a highly efficient developed robot control program (RCP) algorithm without the need for highly complex resource utilization robot operating system (ROS). The industry can realize efficient processes, high productivity, and increased revenues as well as the safety of the workers’ health and environmental conservation by adopting to the use of this robotic system.