Congolese Engineer Creates Wooden Treadmill That Works Without Electricity

By Nigeria Magazine Desk

A Congolese mechanical engineer and innovator, Désiré Kabengele, is attracting attention with an innovative approach to fitness equipment that does not require electricity.

Kabengele, founder of Desire Tech in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), developed the Kivu Fitness, a locally made wooden treadmill designed to operate entirely through the movement of the person using it.

Unlike conventional treadmills that depend on electric motors, batteries or power outlets, the Kivu Fitness treadmill has no motor and does not require electricity to function. Users generate the movement themselves as they exercise.

The innovation offers a practical approach to fitness in environments where access to reliable electricity can be challenging. It also demonstrates how locally available materials and engineering knowledge can be combined to develop solutions suited to African realities.

Kabengele’s creation is part of a growing wave of African innovation focused on developing affordable, locally relevant solutions rather than simply adapting products designed for other markets.

Beyond fitness, the Kivu Fitness treadmill highlights the possibilities of sustainable, off-grid technology and the potential of homegrown engineering to address everyday challenges.

The invention has also drawn attention online, with observers highlighting its simplicity and its ability to function without being connected to a power source.

Through Desire Tech, Kabengele is showcasing how innovation can emerge from identifying a local challenge and developing a solution around the resources and realities available.

The Kivu Fitness treadmill is another example of African ingenuity turning simple ideas into practical innovations.

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