Livelihood and ICTs in East Africa

Communication technology, capabilities and livelihoods

“…Since then, notable attempts to mainstream ICT have been on going in most countries of East Africa as part of the broader objective of development (Zeleza, 2005;Muiruri, 2007). As a result, ICTs are now a common feature in the development policy plans of countries in the region (Aguero, Barrantes, & Waema, 2014). However, initiatives to mainstream ICTs have not been without challenges, which include infrastructural, technical, regulatory, cultural and economic, to name a few (Zeleza, 2005).…”

“…In particular, the widespread availability of the mobile phone has become the most notable trend (Okinda & Adera, 2014). These developments have also been made possible by, among other things, the continued development of the ICT infrastructure by private mobile phone providers and the recent installation of the undersea fiber optic cable (Aguero, Barrantes, & Waema, 2014). Four submarine cables were installed on the Kenyan coastal town of Mombasa.…”

“…These developments have brought enthusiasm that many people can now access better internet connectivity at a lower cost. However, more importantly, like the growth of the mobile telephony sector, these events have ignited optimism about the potential impact of these ICTs to spur social and economic development in the country (Okinda & Adera, 2014;Aguero, Barrantes, & Waema, 2014).…”

“…While mobile phone access and use has gone up, fixed-line telephone services have gone down. Apart from the mobile phone, a wider cross section of the population has been able to access other ICTs such as radio, internet and television (Aguero, Barrantes, & Waema, 2014). FM radio stations have also grown substantially, with the majority broadcasting in indigenous languages (Okinda & Adera, 2014).…”

“…This event generated a lot of attention not only in Kenya but also in the East African countries that were going to benefit from the project. This excitement and expectation was evident in mainstream media reporting, in the statements made by companies in the ICT sector, and in policy documents and statements formulated by government (Aguero, et al 2014;CAK, 2015;Okinda & Odera, 2014). More importantly, this development was framed in terms of ICT potential for economic development.…”