Tribute to Gladys West, the mathematician behind “in 200 metres, turn right”
- Created by Juma Namlola
- Tech
Learn more about the voice that says “in 200 metres, turn right”--and the woman who made it possible.
Kenyans know the voice well.
“In 200 metres, turn right.”
It guides motorists through Nairobi’s traffic, leads boda boda riders into unfamiliar estates, and helps travellers find villages they have never visited before.
Whether on Google Maps or other navigation apps, that calm female voice has become part of daily life.
What many do not know is that the accuracy behind those directions traces back to the work of one woman: Dr Gladys West.
Dr West, a mathematician whose calculations laid the foundation for the Global Positioning System (GPS), died on January 17, 2026, aged 95.
GPS is the technology that allows smartphones to pinpoint location — the same system Google Maps relies on to tell a driver exactly when to turn.
Before GPS, navigation was uncertain. Maps were static, directions were verbal, and getting lost was common, especially in unfamiliar places.
Dr West helped solve one of the hardest scientific problems of her time: how to use satellite data to determine precise positions on Earth.
Working at the US Naval Surface Warfare Center, she developed mathematical models that accurately described the shape of the Earth.
Those calculations allowed satellites to “know” where they were in relation to the ground — a breakthrough that made reliable navigation possible.
Today, that science powers more than directions. In Kenya, GPS helps ambulances reach patients faster, farmers map land, fishermen locate safe waters in Lake Victoria and IndianOcean, and travellers move confidently across cities and counties.
For decades, Dr West’s work went largely unrecognised. As a Black woman in a male-dominated scientific field, she worked quietly while her equations became embedded in global systems used by billions.
Recognition came late, including her induction into the Air Force Space and Missile Pioneers Hall of Fame.
Yet her true legacy is heard every day--not in speeches or textbooks, but in that familiar instruction:
“In 300 metres, turn left.”
Dr Gladys West helped the world know where it is--and helped millions find places they never knew before.
May her soul rest in eternal peace!
