Kenya pumps Sh230m in building a software hub

TECH FIRM TO BUILD CAMPUS IN NAIROBI SAGE ACCPAC

• Makers of world renowned accounting and management software, Sage ACCPAC, through their local partners Accfin East Africa, have announced plans to build a software campus in Nairobi.
• The project estimated to cost Sh120 million will see ACCFIN (E.A) put up a dedicated Sage ACCPAC development and support centre in the city that will service the East African market. ACCFIN says the centre will develop new software. “Unlike in other markets where card and bank payment systems are common, in Africa the remarkable growth of mobile transactions has presented a unique customisation need,” says CEO Raymond Cheruiyot.

Probably one of the Kenya’s biggest software innovation success stories is Ushahidi. The open-source platform was developed in the aftermath of the disputed General Election of 2007 and was used with Google Maps to identify hotspots of ethnic tension.

It uses the concept of crowdsourcing, which involves outsourcing tasks traditionally performed by an employee or contractor to a large group of people or community (a crowd), through an open call.

Ushahidi received global recognition after it was used extensively during rescue operations in the Haitian earthquake. Recently during the referendum, the solution came in handy and even Computer Aid uses it to map out its activities in Africa.

One of the founders, Erica Hagen, and Mikel Maran have used Ushahidi to map Kibera slum using GPS-enabled devices.

Mr Eric Hersman, one of the founders of Ushahidi and iHub says: “We’ve learned that technology does overcome inefficiencies, but that it still takes people to make it happen. We’ve learned that Africans can build world-class software. Ushahidi is now very successful and the adoption is high.”

Ushahidi funds the iHub. “Nairobi is quickly becoming a tech hub in Africa and we wanted to get a place where those who aspire to develop their skills can meet,” he said.

Wananchi, through Zuku, has wired the iHub with fibre optic to provide internet, Google organises brings experts to train innovators and provides Android phones to assist in developing mobile applications. Microsoft donated a server while Nokia sponsors the developers’ day.

At the iHub recently, located on Ngong Road, Smart Company met with a number of software developers/innovators.

Mr Will Mworia runs africanpixel.com, which is a software application for high-end mobile phones, such as the iPhones, Androids, high-end Nokia and Samsung.

He also manages Afrinnovator, a content website, which he says celebrates start-ups in Africa.

On iHub, he notes: “Here internet is free, working area is free. This is a good place for developers and this solves the disconnect that existed before.”

Mr Oscar Njuguna, a co-founder of Zege Technologies, is also a beneficiary of iHub. Zege is developing software that integrates bank accounts with M-Pesa, Safaricom’s mobile money transfer service. Mr Njuguna says the biggest challenge for Kenyan innovators is gaining recognition.

Charles Kithika and Joshua Musau are part of the group of innovators aiming to build the tech movers of tomorrow. Mr Kithika has developed a software for human resources to manage employees, payroll and time, currently on trial in a number of firms.

Mr Musau is working on a solution that will enable media houses link directly with advertisers and another software for hospitals to manage data storage.

Payment solutions
The iHub manager, Ms Jessica Colaco, is a huge proponent of the mobile web. She says users and developers need to get together to scale ideas into projects that can be fine-tuned to meet the growing demand for information in Kenya.

Ms Colaco has worked as the principal researcher at Strathmore Research and Consultancy Centre. As an undergraduate Computer Science student, she developed a mobile application known as Wireless Map Service (WMS), which received great accolades at the 10th annual IEEE Engineering Students Exhibition in September 2007.

She organised the first Nairobi Facebook Developer Garage and Mobile Boot Camp in Kenya in March 2008 and November 2008 respectively to spur innovation within the country.

Kenya has been gaining a competitive advantage in mobile payment, in which M-Pesa leads.