mAgriculture among pastoralist communities: A case of livestock farmers in kenyan arid and semi-arid lands

The pastoralist communities in Kenya and other parts of Africa rely on their livestock for survival. Their method of livestock farming is non-modern and is characterized by traditional livestock keeping practices and non-adherence to livestock rearing best practices. However, they have not been left behind in embracing mobile technology. The technologies in their disposal present opportunities that can be harnessed to increase productivity. For instance, the moderately high penetration of mobile phones among these communities provide a platform for mAgriculture interventions. This research aims to establish the readiness of pastoralists in Kenya, towards the usage of mAgriculture technologies that have the potential to transform their way of livestock keeping. The research explores the technologies available to the pastoralist communities living in three different Arid and Semi-Arid areas of Kenya, the level of exposure to mAgriculture platforms among these communities and how social, cultural and religious factors determine their adoption of mAgriculture innovations towards socioeconomic empowerment. The research was conducted in Marsabit, Wajir and Isiolo regions of Kenya. Information was collected using questionnaires as well as Focus Group Discussions among the participants. It was observed that a large number of pastoralists in Kenya own mobile phones, and a number of them have been exposed to mAgriculture applications. However, the mAgriculture innovations exposed to them have not been helpful due to social, cultural, religious and technological factors have hampered their penetration. The research identified the needs among these communities that can be met using mAgriculture platforms and proposes different ways of implementing these innovations among this group of people.