Technological Development Of Kenya

Seeing an economy functioning on this idea of mobile money that I’ve heard about for a few years has been fascinating, and a real insight into the development of Kenya. A lot of it makes me wonder whether online payment through things like debit cards will become prevalent in East Africa, and especially Kenya. Innovation is typically a path dependent evolutionary process based on the environment of a situation. In the UK and US, people had money stored up in bank accounts, and so the natural way to pay for things online was to find an efficient means to route the money from the account to the ecommerce store. In Kenya though, the starting point has been different.

The place that the majority of people keep their money is in M-Pesa and so trying to force people to convert over to bank accounts and then get debit cards and then online payment portals to accept debit cards might a long way around rather than just playing the environment. And this is why I believe it worked so well in Kenya. I don’t believe it will work in my country because people in Syria are accustomed to traditional payment methods (give and take by your hand), or it will work after so long time after people will get use of it.

Today, there are a lot of submarine cables connecting Africa to America, Europe and Asia, and international connectivity is no longer a significant issue. This has allowed countries to share information, both within the continent and to the world, in a more direct way. It has created more space for innovation, research and education. In African continent, patrons should support technology industries there, and offer devises to people in affordable and cheap devises.

One way, is to recycle waste to and turn it into valid electronical pieces to be used to form a brand new electronical device, this will protect the environment. In addition, it will cost companies much less prices than inviting new electronical devices. Although, this will need a lot of fine experts, professionals, and precise work. "Networks have ended the isolation of African scientists and researchers. You now have access to information from the more developed countries, and this is changing the way people think," says Meoli Kashorda, director of KENET (Kenya Education Network).

In 2008, the Government of Kenya revealed the first concept for ICT new city. It was originally named as Kenya Multimedia ICT Park and located near the Athi River (Johari, 2014). Konza technology city is already proofed that they can help Kenya and they did positive impacts such as:

1. Developed of ICT infrastructure.
2. encouraged development of contents and applications.
3. Developed Public Private Partnership to fund the projects because the government does not have enough budget.
4. Developed massive capacity to boost national economy.
5. Created labor skilled employment. Yes, such a project can establish major local conflicts especially in poor countries and this may lead to civil wars.

The appearance of Konza Techno City’s plan also created local conflicts between 3 counties which claim the location of KTC in their area. These claims have the motives of the chance to get the tax revenues once the city has established (Johari, 2014). Among the evidence for this claim is the steady rise in life expectancies (almost doubling, from about 45 in 1900 to about 80 in 2000, in the US and most other wealthy countries) over the era of rapid technological advance. In more specific ways, newer products and devices are often regulation meant to reduce risks should not inhibit new technology (North, D, (1990)).

References:

1. Kashorda, M, (2016), Al JAZEERA channel press, Kenya Education Network, Retrieved from: https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2016/connecting-africa- mobile-internet-solar/internet-connecting-africa.htmI
2. Johari, A. (2015). "Kenya’s Konza Techno City: Utopian Vision Meets Social Reality" Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. Paper 2024.
3. Johari, A. (2015). "Kenya’s Konza Techno City: Utopian Vision Meets Social Reality" Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection. Paper 2026.
4. North D. Institutions, institutional change, and economic performance. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1990.