NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 24 — Nominated MP David Ole Sankok sensationally claimed on Wednesday to be the brainchild behind the knife grinder often mounted on bicycles and linked to the peddling mechanism.
The grinder comprises a grinding stone wheel that is alternatively mounted on a three-legged stand with a conveyor belt attached to a pedal which the operator steps on to wind the grinding stone against a knife.
Sankok who was contributing to the debate on the Copyright (Amendment) Bill, where he narrated how he came up with the invention to make ends meet while he was a student at the University of Nairobi.
“Because my parents were not blessed enough to afford my university upkeep, I invented the knife sharpening machine using the physics principal, of a bigger circle rotating a smaller circle and aware that everybody back home in the Maasai has a sword, I made almost Sh20,000 on the first day. I remember I had a bucket full of Sh20 coins,” he said to the amusement of Temporary Speaker Soipan Tuya.
The Nominated MP who fondly refers to himself as Nominee 001, enhanced his comic interlude during the Committee of the Whole House as he stated that placing the pedal on right right of the stand was a design meant to adopt to his condition because his left leg is paralyzed.
He laughed off those who duplicated his invention for not being brilliant enough to know they could design a knife sharpening machine meant for well-abled operators.
“Fortunately, enough when Kenyans copy an exam, they copy even the name of the child they are copying from. So they drive it using one leg when they can drive it using both legs. In fact I have seen some of them using the left leg unaware it is because my right leg that is strong,” Sankok explained.
He however regretted that he did not patent the invention under the Intellectual Property law which would have seen him reap millions.
“If there was this intellectual policy in Kenya then I would be benefitting from this invention which only cost me Sh1,500,” the Nominated MP stated.
