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The Role of M-Pesa in Kenya’s Economic and Political Development

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Kenya After 50

Part of the book series: African Histories and Modernities ((AHAM))

Abstract

Mobile phones, which have been adopted faster than any other technology in human history, are the visible expressions of a technology-oriented consumer (Jack and Suri, 2010). Although this image is mainly associated with the iPhone in Asian, European, or North American contexts, the spread of mobile phone technology has been even faster and successful in Africa. In fact, the developing countries of Africa were the winners of the new mobile phone technology. The transformation processes caused by these new technologies were nowhere as decisive as in sub-Saharan Africa, where mobile phone and its possibilities created tremendous economic and social change. The most well-known concept of success is the Kenyan M-PESA or mobile money—the M stands for mobile and PESA means cash in Swahili (Hughes and Lonie, 2007). In just four weeks, Safaricom, the company that launched the mobile pay system, registered more than 20,000 new customers for M-PESA, and between its introduction in March 2007 and 2009, its customer base grew to over six million in Kenya (Mas and Morawczynski, 2009).

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Authors
  1. Frank Jacob
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Mickie Mwanzia Koster Michael Mwenda Kithinji Jerono P. Rotich

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© 2016 Frank Jacob

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Jacob, F. (2016). The Role of M-Pesa in Kenya’s Economic and Political Development. In: Koster, M.M., Kithinji, M.M., Rotich, J.P. (eds) Kenya After 50. African Histories and Modernities. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137574633_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137574633_6

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-349-56458-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-57463-3

  • eBook Packages: HistoryHistory (R0)

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