Away with the stereotypes!

The apps feature an anonymous chat that allows users to interact with one another. PHOTO| FILE| NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • So far, Tony has created eight apps that delve into the cultures of the Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, Meru, Kisii, Kalenjin and Mijikenda communities.
  • He zeroed in on these communities because they are the largest tribes in Kenya.

How well do you know your community’s cultural practices and norms? If you know little or nothing, Tony Oloo, 24, had you in mind when he created this interactive app.

Armed with a degree in Business Information Management and a great interest in the latest technological advancements, he has been creating apps that tell the rich history of Kenya’s communities.

The young Kisii University graduate is passionate about mobile technology and artificial intelligence. He first got the idea of creating a mobile app just right for the Kenyan market after seeing Justin Bieber emojis doing rounds on social media.

He created a similar application using personalities such as senator Mike Sonko, DP William Ruto and Huddah. It did not garner the excitement he had hoped for though.

“The app flopped. It got only 30 downloads. I learnt that Kenya is not like the US and other Western countries where people are excited by such emojis,” Tony explains.

He did not give up though, hence   the birth ofmTraditional Customs and Taboos apps, which contain information about the cultural practices and beliefs of various Kenyan communities.

“I got the idea from general conversations with friends. Someone would say something outrageous about another community, but could not say for a fact that the information was factual,” he explains, adding that the many stereotypes that abound about other communities are what  motivate some parents to discourage their children from intermarrying.

So far, Tony has created eight apps that delve into the cultures of the Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, Kamba, Meru, Kisii, Kalenjin and Mijikenda communities. He zeroed in on these communities because they are the largest tribes in Kenya.

“Since the Kikuyu people are the majority in Kenya according the latest census, I decided to start with them because I would have a bigger target audience - I could not do all 42 tribes at once,” he explains.

 So far, his first app is not doing so badly, with more than 500 downloads so far. The rest of the apps are currently at about 100 downloads each.

Tony explains that he spent hours poring through books from a local library as well as the Internet while researching on the material for the apps.

He gives the origin story of the community, their religious beliefs, cultural practices and taboos.

The apps also feature an anonymous chat that allows users interact with one another and ask more questions concerning the information in the app.

“I take about one week to create each app. Development of the software is the easy part, it doesn’t take long. The research is what eats up most of my time.”

He might not be making much right now, but he is certain that as time goes by, more and more people will get to know about his apps and be curious enough to learn more about their communities.

Want to know more about yours? Simply go to Google Playstore and search for ‘Traditional Customs and Taboos’ and select the community that you would want to know more about.