Abdul Azeez Butale

Kenyan biomedical engineer creating affordable prosthetics for African amputees

Abdul Azeez Butale (b. 1990) is the founder of Innovate Kenya, a social enterprise producing low-cost prosthetic limbs using recycled materials. His 2016 invention of the Eco-Friendly Prosthesis reduced limb costs from $10,000 to $80, making them accessible to 80% of Kenya's amputee population. Butale's UNICEF-supported 3D printing network now operates in 12 African countries, producing 15,000+ limbs annually.

His 2019 launch of the MJIA Project (Mobile Joint Implant Assembly) created modular prosthetics adaptable to different body types. This innovation was featured in Engineering Magazine as 'Africa's Bioengineering Breakthrough.' Butale's team developed the first solar-powered prosthetic workshop in rural Uganda, trained over 300 local technicians through his online platform.

In 2022, Butale partnered with Bayer AG to create diabetes-specific prosthetics, addressing a major health issue in East Africa. His work has reduced limb rejection rates by 60% through biocompatible materials derived from maize husks. Recognized by Forbes Africa's 30 Under 30 in 2021, his Open Prosthetics Database shares designs globally under Creative Commons licenses. Butale's vision of 'prosthetics as a basic human right' has inspired similar initiatives in Nigeria and Ghana.