The era of Kenyan apps is finally here! We are beginning to see Kenya boom in the area of Information Technology (IT) as it relates to the mobile app subsectors. We are beginning to see new and powerful mobile and web applications being launched to meet a specific need for Smartphone and Tablet PC users almost on daily basis.
Without a doubt, part of what has contributed to this increase in the demand for Kenyan apps is the infiltration of affordable mobile devices in the Kenyan market. Kenya continues to produce some of the best mobile applications in the region, some of which have actually found their way beyond the borders of Africa. Of course, the good thing is that these applications are not just the best but they are also the most awesome. Something you should have on your mobile…so don’t miss out!
1. MedAfrica
Developed by Shimba technologies, MedAfrica is dedicated to taking healthcare services as close as possible to the common man. It has a robust medical library from where you can get certified information on doctors, locate nearby hospitals, and monitor the signs and symptoms of various medical conditions. The application also has information on recommended diets and drugs for specific medical conditions.
2. Africa Travel Guide
Africa Travel Guide is a mobile application designed to give you comprehensive tourist information for over one thousand travel destinations in Africa. It is loaded with information on culture, history, sights, hotels & restaurants, bars, entertainment, nightlife and transportation to name just a few. The good news is that it’s an offline application so you do not have to be online to access all this information. Some of the major destinations covered by Africa Travel Guide app include Accra, Addis Ababa, and Mombasa among others.
3. M-Farm
As a “business solution for agriculture,” M-Farm is all about connecting farmers, enabling them to share ideas and consequently enhancing the flow of goods and services. It enhances operational efficiency by allowing agricultural groups and organisations to serve their members who are usually distributed over space. The application can help with production & purchase planning, broadcasting alert messages via SMS and estimating the cost of production.
4. My Social Media
My social media offers you a voice alert whenever you have a notification on any of the major social media platforms. This means you don’t have to always stare at your phone waiting to respond to a notification. It may seem not useful until you take a look at how many hours you spend doing nothing on Facebook or Twitter. With My Social Media app, once you have updated your profile, you can log out and return only when you have a notification to respond to.
5. Olalashe
Olalashe is a Maasai word for ‘brother’. The application itself is a brotherly geo-alert tracking system that enables you to communicate your location in times of distress. It makes use of a widget that makes it possible to automatically send your location and a pre-set message to a list of contacts (also pre-set). When you find yourself in trouble, simply press a button on your mobile device and the information will be sent to the pre-selected contacts. Olalashe is a FREE app from Capefield.
6. Kasha.mobi
Kasha is a mobile application for saving messages securely and for a long time. The app mainly targets the mobile money service sector. With the increase in mobile transactions within the country, transaction IDs will become the next stumbling block; the moment you lose the ID, there is no proof of transaction. The service is already available for Zap, yuCash and MPesa. Interested parties can register via the main site or through SMS.
7. iCow
iCow is an SMS and voice-message based mobile phone application. It helps small-scale farmers track the estrus stages of cows and gives the farmers tips on breeding, gestation, nutrition and milk-production efficiency. The application aims at reducing mortality rates in cows, produce healthier calves and ultimately increase returns. iCow was rated the best African mobile app of 2010 by Forbes.
8. NikoHapa
NikoHapa connects friends and shows users new joints in town. If you are going to joint A tonight, you can easily let your friends know about it via NikoHapa. The application also acts as a loyalty program such that users who visit certain locations, restaurants or retail outlets for a given number of times are rewarded with cash and allowed to share the locations with friends.
9. M-Pepea
M-PEPEA gives small loans to registered members depending on income. It targets full-time employees and depending on your monthly income you could qualify for between $58 and $350. M-PEPEA credit is a fully automated credit system dedicated to providing small emergency loans via Safaricom M-PESA instantly, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. M-PEPEA provides emergency micro loans when you need them most. The service uses Safaricom’s M-pesa system to get cash instantly in your hand wherever you have mobile service.
10. M-shop
M-Shop is an award-winning application developed and piloted as from 11th December 2012 to enable customers book tickets for a bus, air travel and movies. M-Shop services are accessible through the Android app and online at www.mshop.co.ke. M-Shop “brings the market to the people” though you could also argue that it takes the people to the market. Through the application, customers can make orders, pay for goods and/or services and also obtain tickets for travel and various events with great ease and convenience. The application also enables ticket holders to validate such tickets.
There are a few hundred other applications not on this list, most of which are also very helpful; you’ve probably heard of I-Daktari, M-Chanjo, M-Prep and many others. This only goes to show how fast mobile technology is growing in Kenya.
