Andrew Limo
22 December 2005
guest column
Nairobi — Never before has the ability to communicate been essential to humanity. More and more people are accessing the Internet and making phone calls cheaply while the technologies keep improving.
The outcome of this has been transformation of economies, cultures and even politics all over the world. Information Communication Technologies, (ICTs) are changing the world in a manner never experienced since the industrial revolution.
If Information Technology is defining winners and losers in the new knowledge-based economy, can we afford to ignore IT?
The phenomenal growth of mobile phones in Kenya and many other developing countries thought to be too poor to afford the technology is a proof that people believe it is crucial to their well being.
The economic benefits are apparent. In business, for example, those who have better communications channels can access wider markets, faster and cheaply. They have an edge over the traditionalists, business as usual lot.
Spontaneous growth
In a typical developing country, studies have shown that "an extra 10 phones per 100 people increases GDP growth rate by 0.6 per cent points" (The Economist March 12, 2005).
With the spontaneous growth of mobile phones in Kenya, five million subscribers in hardly five years, every other coin transacted in the informal sector businesses like at Gikomba market and at the weekly Masai market in Nairobi is made possible with the help of a cell phone.
The short message service (sms), is enabling many in the rural areas to do business at lower costs. They can make critical business decisions for as little as Sh2.
Imagine the potential the Internet would unleash among the curios and artifacts traders. With some training, access and laws in place, all they need is some web presence to stay in business 24/7 and across borders.
Imagine further that you are a tourist and have just bought something really nice from these innovative Kenyans on Saturday morning. Come Sunday, your wife insists she must have another giraffe carving for her father in Frankfurt. How will you find the trader who did not even give you a business card?
But with online trading or e-commerce in place, a deal could even be sealed in the middle a flight.
Yet some would like to argue that the poor do not need such technology. That they can hardly afford is not the same thing as not wanting IT. Using the example of Indian farming villages connected to the Internet, e-choupal, academician and author C.K. Prahalad illustrates how the Indian dotcom farmers now look for better prices beyond the local market.
In some instances, it would mean getting the latest on Soya beans at the Chicago Board of Trade.
In his book: The Fortune at the Bottom of The Pyramid, professor Prahalad argues, "contrary to the popular belief, the BOP (bottom of the social pyramid folk) accept the advanced technologies readily".
The view is even more convincing in that poor nations, who hardly invested in old technologies anyway, do not have to wait for any return on their investments. They simply ride on the latest technologies and move on.
Microsoft has just launched a Swahili version of its office 2003 windows application. This is a welcome development that will see technology scale the language barrier. It will stimulate interest among Swahili speakers in East Africa who have been marginalised and made to feel illiterate by the English version.
Embracing technology is not therefore a matter of choice. If anything, we should be thinking of building ICT infrastructure with the same enthusiasm as building roads and airports.
During the last Jamhuri day speech, President Kibaki underscored the importance of ICTs in Kenya's economic growth. "Economic growth is today driven by the knowledge and service-based sectors, where ease of information transaction is key determinant of success".
This kind of high level political commitment is needed to spur the use of technology, especially within the government itself.
For nearly a year now, the Directorate of e-Government, a small unit within the Cabinet office, has been setting up the necessary framework to get government services online.
Knowledge age
On other fronts, concepts like e-learning, e-health, e-commerce are taking root in Kenya.
When a citizen is served well by a private sector institution, he/she starts demanding the same from the government. To remain effective and relevant in the knowledge age, the government must respond to the demands of such a rapidly changing society.
Last month, Kenya participated at the second phase of the UN World Summit on Information Society held in Tunis, Tunisia. The "ICT 4 all" exhibition received 70, 000 visits including Heads of States, Government officials and international professionals. More than 330 exhibitors from 70 countries presented their ICT projects and discussed trends in the sector.
Kenya e-government showcase was well received by many other exhibitors and participants at the exhibition.
ICTs will give a chance to everybody to participate in the global economy. China, whose economic growth is overheating, owes a lot of her success to the use of communication technologies. So far China has overtaken Mexico as the leading exporter to the US, yet Mexico is America's next door neighbour.
Mr Limo works at the e-government department.
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