Fueled by Protests, Kenyan Developers Innovate Tech to Support Movement

“Seeing the pain and uncertainty that families go through when a loved one goes missing, I felt a moral obligation to do whatever I could to help,” says Mutheu in an interview with OkayAfrica. The database currently has information on 12 missing people. It also tracks those who have been arrested, released, charged, and killed. For the open source build of the site — and its accompanying USSD code—Mutheu was supported by a group of volunteer developers, designers, data analysts, and legal advisors.

Together they are part of the hundreds of experts who have used their skills to create new products — and innovate available tech — that is useful to the demonstrations and the larger national movement that has called for the resignation of President William Ruto, and forthe complete overhaul in how the country is governed. On Thursday, protestors faced off with tear-gas-ready police for the #NaneNaneMarch, the first time the demonstrations returned to the streets after a two-week break.

From the use of real-time protest tracking tools and crowd-sourced safety apps, to platforms thatmonitor alleged government embezzlement andsupport a citizen’s right to recall their MP, the movement’s tech-savvy arbiters are using their skills to drive the movement.

“I think our Gen Zs have found very innovative ways to use technology to try and circumvent some of the repressive control that the government has been using over time,” says Dr. Paul Okanda, Professor of distributed systems at USIU-Africa, in an interview with OkayAfrica. Dr. Okanda points to the use of social media and other tools at the protestors’ disposal, to spread information and build a social movement. “They have been very creative in thinking about, for example, how we democratize information.”

Examples include the use of AI to help educate people about the Finance Bill 2024, with developers creating a specialized GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model to answer questions on the bill. Or the quickly createdWall of Shame, a website specifically dedicated to identifying politicians who voted for the Finance Bill.

The movement continues to adapt quickly, whether it's in response to government pushback or in finding solutions to new problems that crop up. In recent months, these tech experts have proven that Nairobi’s nickname as the "Silicon Savannah" — because of its vibrant tech ecosystem and numerous startup hubs — is well earned. Easy access to strong, stable internet, a well-educated youth and cheaper technology have also helped,Dr. Okanda tells OkayAfrica.

Indeed, the new and innovative technology is demonstrating how ordinary citizens, armed with technology and a passion for justice, can drive significant change. “When we talk about technology, we know that it intertwines with a lot of social movements. And right now, it is driving a very unique one,” he says. “We are dealing with a generation that does not settle for just anything that they come across. It is a generation that has always been inquisitive. It is a generation that, frankly, has had enough!”

Mutheu agrees, saying that the solutions developed in response to the protests are just an example of the country’s robust tech community, and how it is able to adapt and face challenges. “The creativity and resilience demonstrated by Kenyan [developers] during this period highlight the country's potential as a leader in tech-driven social change. These developments reflect not only the technical prowess of Kenyan developers but also their deep commitment to using technology for social good…. It’s a powerful example of how technology can be mobilized to support and protect communities in times of need,” she says.

Currently, Kevin Bett is dedicating up to four hours daily,despite running an AgTech startup, towards trying to fill a need he identified: tracking government embezzlement. The idea to create such a platform came to him while following the X posts of@kibet_bull, who had recently started anonymously posting about various government projects that had been launched but never completed.

Bett, 32, found it challenging to keep track of all this new information, so he reached out tothe user with the idea to create a tracker that would be open to the public, allowing everyone to contribute and verify information from different sources. This collaborative effort, with four other volunteers, is aimed at raising awareness about the severity of embezzlement and stalled projects in Kenya.

"We started small, initially focusing on the president's projects," Bett says of thesite, which started as a Google spreadsheet. "As we delved deeper, we uncovered more instances of embezzlement and misuse of funds." The tracker has already identified 47 projects, of which only two are complete, 32 are stalled, one is ongoing and 12 are yet to be confirmed.

“And if you look at the total amount that we have been able to track, it is close to $1 billion (USD), so it is a lot of embezzlement,” he says. He hopes to be able to work with legislators to create real-time project tracking, through blockchain technology. "We've only scratched the surface,” he says of the work they’ve produced in less than a month. “Imagine the amount of information we'll uncover in the next three to six months."

Dr. Okandasays it's easy to understand why people like Bett and Mutheu would choose to spend their time working on these projects. Ultimately, like all Kenyans, they are tired of how the country is being run. “I think a lot of them are driven by the rot that is the government, the rot of the political class, the rot of our systems and the fact that things don't work,” he says. “They know that they have the opportunity to change things through whatever little knowledge they have gathered over the years.”

For Mutheu, it’s about giving back and using the skills she has to make an impact. For Bett, it is about using his skills to change the system and to also show that those who have died during the movement did not do so in vain. “The whole project has become very near and dear to my heart, especially when I think about the more than 60 souls who have lost their lives fighting for good governance and an end to corruption,” he says. “And for me, it has given me much more fuel to continue working on this.”