AI-powered greenhouse for plant care developed in Kenya — Nation Kenya
In Nairobi, Kenya, 24-year-old University of Nairobi graduate Walter Kisovi and two co-founders have developed a prototype of the Bonita “smart” greenhouse. The system uses sensors and AI to automatically manage plant watering, ventilation, temperature and artificial lighting.
As Nation Kenya reports, the idea for the project emerged in February 2026 after conversations with farmers about the effects of changing weather conditions and the difficulties of manually controlling greenhouse operations. Kisovi, who studied telecommunications and information engineering, sought to create a system capable of maintaining the conditions required for a specific crop.
Sensors and automatic control
Bonita combines soil-moisture and temperature sensors, an irrigation system, fans, automated windows and lighting. When soil moisture falls below the set level, the system supplies water. If the temperature exceeds the required range, it can switch on fans and open windows for ventilation and humidity regulation.
The parameters can be adjusted for vegetables, herbs, flowers and other crops. As an example, Kisovi cited mint seedlings, which need about 14 hours of light per day: natural lighting, he said, provides about eight hours, while artificial light can make up for the remaining time.
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Remote monitoring and cost
According to the developer, farmers will be able to receive notifications and interact with the system through an app, WhatsApp or Telegram, provided there is a stable internet connection. This makes it possible to control the greenhouse remotely, including when the farm is located in another city.
Kisovi believes that under favorable conditions, the technology could increase yields by about 50%. The smallest Bonita model, by his estimate, costs about 50,000 shillings, including the structure and a basic control system. The prototype cost the team about 40,000 shillings, including transportation.
The project is still at the testing stage and has not been commercialized. The team plans to add cameras for visual monitoring of plant development, but a lack of funding is holding back the implementation of this feature. The developers are also seeking support to improve the system and equip their own workshop.
