Research Article
Community Networks in Kenya: Characteristics and Challenges
@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-031-34896-9_18, author={Kennedy Ronoh and Thomas Olwal and Njeri Ngaruiya}, title={Community Networks in Kenya: Characteristics and Challenges}, proceedings={Towards new e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries. 14th EAI International Conference, AFRICOMM 2022, Zanzibar, Tanzania, December 5-7, 2022, Proceedings}, proceedings_a={AFRICOMM}, year={2023}, month={6}, keywords={Community networks Digital divide Internet penetration TunapandaNet Lanet Umoja Aheri Dunia Moja}, doi={10.1007/978-3-031-34896-9_18} }- Kennedy Ronoh
Thomas Olwal
Njeri Ngaruiya
Year: 2023
Community Networks in Kenya: Characteristics and Challenges
AFRICOMM
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-34896-9_18
Abstract
Community networks are set up by communities through pooling of resources. Such networks may also be initiated by third parties such as non-profit organizations (NPOs) or volunteers with involvement of the target community in a certain area. Municipalities can also roll out a community network by setting up free or inexpensive Internet access hotspots. Community networks are set up in order to bring affordable Internet connectivity to an area or to bring Internet connectivity to an area where there is no connectivity at all. Community networks in Kenya have been growing every year since 2015 when the first community network was founded. There are currently four community networks in Kenya. Despite the growth of community networks in Kenya, there is currently no existing critical analysis done on community networks in Kenya. This paper, hence, presents a study on community networks that are currently operating in Kenya. This paper presents the challenges currently hampering the growth of community networks in Kenya. This paper also provides possible solutions to those challenges and make some practical recommendations that can be adopted by community networks in Kenya. The paper further discusses the characteristics of community networks in Kenya and the critical success factors for a community network based on the experience of two community networks in Kenya. The applied methodology are qualitative exploratory research and desktop reviews.
