Practical Insights on Kenya

Kenya ICT4D

How are Kenyans using ICT4D to Improve Life in Kenya?

Kenyans are using ICT4D (Information and Communication Technologies for Development) to accelerate social and economic development by improving access to information, opportunities, and services, and by promoting innovation and efficiency in various sectors.

  • Agriculture: ICTs are being used to improve the efficiency and productivity of smallholder farmers, through the use of precision agriculture technologies such as remote sensing and GPS-based farming tools.
  • Financial inclusion: ICTs are being used to expand access to financial services, including mobile banking and other digital financial technologies, which can help to increase financial inclusion and improve the lives of people who are unbanked or underbanked.
  • Education: ICTs are being used to improve the quality of education and expand access to learning opportunities, through the use of e-learning platforms and other digital tools.
  • Healthcare: ICTs are being used to improve access to healthcare and health information, through the use of telemedicine and other digital health technologies.
  • Infrastructure: ICTs are being used to improve infrastructure, including transportation and energy systems, through the use of smart city technologies and other digital innovations.
Are You Guilty of Helping Safaricom Prey on Rural Women?

Are You Guilty of Helping Safaricom Prey on Rural Women?

Published on: Nov 17 2016 by Wayan Vota - 5 Comments
There are multiple development initiatives to increase women’s ownership and usage of mobile phones – everyone from GSMA to USAID to Mobile Network...
How Do We Make Open Data Useful in East Africa?

How Do We Make Open Data Useful in East Africa?

Published on: Oct 26 2016 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How Do We Make Open Data Useful in East Africa?
“What is the use of open data that makes it relevant for everyone?” This candid question was raised at the East Africa Open Data Fest held in Nairobi in August....
Stop Giving Away Smartphones!

Stop Giving Away Smartphones!

Published on: Sep 15 2016 by Wayan Vota - 11 Comments
Pretty much every day, I hear the same failure refrain repeated again and again, “We gave away 50-100 smartphones for our mobile project.” Why is this...
Pop Quiz: Should You Need a License to Practice ICT4D?

Pop Quiz: Should You Need a License to Practice ICT4D?

Published on: Jul 07 2016 by Wayan Vota - 6 Comments
The Kenyan government recently introduced the Information Communications Technology Practitioners Bill 2016 bill that would require every ICT practitioner to have...
7 Reasons Why Farmers Do Not Use Market Price SMS Text Messages

7 Reasons Why Farmers Do Not Use Market Price SMS Text Messages

Published on: Jun 05 2016 by Wayan Vota - 15 Comments
On Friday, we had the startling realization that fishermen do not use mobile phones to compare market prices of fish. Besides cultural and legal limitations to...
4 Innovative Ways The Renewable Energy Sector Is Using Mobile Technology

4 Innovative Ways The Renewable Energy Sector Is Using Mobile Technology

Published on: May 30 2016 by Guest Writer - 5 Comments
While NGOs increasingly use mobile technology for monitoring and evaluation, in emerging markets like Kenya, businesses are also using mobile solutions to both...
How to Reduce Misinformation with ICTs in Rural Kenya

How to Reduce Misinformation with ICTs in Rural Kenya

Published on: May 27 2016 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on How to Reduce Misinformation with ICTs in Rural Kenya
Misinformation poses a problem to development both in the developed and developing world. With the rise of ICTs, particularly social media, misinformation is propagated...
The Rise of Mobile Money Services in Somaliland

The Rise of Mobile Money Services in Somaliland

Published on: Jan 29 2016 by Guest Writer - 1 Comment
In 2009, Somaliland’s biggest mobile network operator, Telesom, launched their mobile payment service “ZAAD”, and today more than 10% of the 3.8 million inhabitants...
Using Technology to Advance Human Rights in Kenya

Using Technology to Advance Human Rights in Kenya

Published on: Aug 26 2015 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Using Technology to Advance Human Rights in Kenya
Joseph Kitaka, a resident of Yatta in Machakos County, Kenya, has always had an interest in defending human rights. His community is faced with numerous challenges,...
Key Success Factors for ICT4D Solutions for Base of the Pyramid Consumers

Key Success Factors for ICT4D Solutions for Base of the Pyramid Consumers

Published on: May 15 2015 by Guest Writer - Comments Off on Key Success Factors for ICT4D Solutions for Base of the Pyramid Consumers
Over the past decade, many organizations have leveraged newly available broadband to set up sustainable projects that better include the base of the pyramid (BOP)...