Cell phone, Computer Usage in Kenya Up as Social Networking becomes part of Life

Kenya joined the global world in embracing technology according to a new Pew Global Attitudes study.  The only  two African nations surveyed were  Kenya and Nigeria. There are interesting findings:

Cell Phone ownership

In Kenya, cell phone ownership has increased sevenfold, from 9% in 2002 to 65% in 2010.

That is wow,  and now i think cell phones should be declared human rights by somebody..by the way, who has the powers to do that? UN. … I know some will dismiss this before hand but it is possible that phones have been used to save lives in Africa and in many other parts of the world.  Believe it, phones in developing world are becoming the center of human survival in many ways than people could have imagined ten years ago.

nokia-c3-colors

Computer Usage

Four other countries have also seen a double-digit increase in computer usage compared with just three years ago.  That is the case in Argentina (from 35% in 2007 to 50% in 2010), Turkey (from 29% to 42%), China (from 40% to 50%), and Kenya (from 12% to 22%).

The computer usage gone up in Kenya from 12% to 22% within the last three years. And with the efforts like that of the ICT board helping university students to buy laptops the next few years will be very ineteresting to watch

Social Networks

Kenya and Nigeria, when people have the opportunity to go online, they tend to use social networking sites.  Roughly one-in-five Kenyans (19%) participate in social networking, while just 5% use the internet but do not participate.  Similarly, 17% of Nigerians go to these sites, while only 7% go online but do not access such sites.

Now you should understand why Kenyans on twitter have managed to make some topics being discussed locally to trend worldwide.  Started with the name #Raila, during the promulgation of the new Constitution, then came my favorite #KCPE2010 and the other day #Muthaura.  Facebook just netted 1million users in Kenya as noted by  @Moseskemibaro here. Na bado!

Email Usage

The email usage in Kenya has increased by 13% in the last three years from 11% in 2007  to 24% in 2010. Not bad. The sole reason why Hussein Ali would have no job in the near future  as Post Master General, even if the #Hegue was not knocking on his door. Nobody is writing letters anymore.  The Government and Companies have turned round accepted email as legitimate form of communication.  Is Twitter next?  Just DM it….

Education gap in Email Usage and Phone ownership

The education gap in internet usage and cell phone ownership is just as striking.  In Jordan, nearly nine-in-ten (88%) of those who have attended college use the internet, while only one-in-five of those who did not attend college say the same.  Education gaps of more than 50 percentage points are also found in Egypt, Kenya, Brazil, Turkey and Mexico.

In Kenya 68% of those who have attended college use internet while only 14% who did not attend college use internet.  For real Watu wasome jameni, ni muhimu…..

For cell phones the gap is not that huge but the same pattern holds.  87% of people with at least some college education have a cell phone, compared with 60% of those without a college education.

Gender Gap in the use of Technology

While there are limited gender differences in use of technology such as computers, cell phones and the internet in most of the countries surveyed, the scenario is a bit different in Kenya.  10 % Gap between men and women in internet usage in Kenya… (29% men vs 19% women)