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What is Information and Communications Technology in Kenya? How has it developed to its current state? How does it affect you?

Come on, I think the easiest way for me to try and explain Information and Communications Technology in Kenya is recounting my experience. I started on this way back in 1991.

This was the Personal Computer (PC) age period marking the slow death of Mainframe computers and dummy terminals. My first encounter was with a mainframe computer. This giant computer the size of a small car used dummy terminals (Monitors) (You could connect a number of this to one computer). Believe it or not, this giant computer had a hood and the motor was the size of that of a car. Mainframes still exist to date though the size has greatly reduced.

My early encounter with Information and Communications Technology in Kenya

I had just been employed in one of the local Information and Communications Technology companies in Kenya, after graduating from one of the local universities. The company specialized in data processing. I familiarized myself with its operations.

Old IBM Mainframe

In those days the “Computers” were kept in “secret” separate rooms with an “Authorized Personnel only” warning posted on the door. The rooms were freezing cold and were supposed to be dust free. How they were to be dust free in Nairobi is a mystery to date? It was rumored that this seemingly intelligent machine could detect food and drink, this two items were prohibited in computer rooms.

Any way I learn t data processing and then programming with some programming languages that are long forgotten…… no wait a minute!, I remember one, ha RPG 3,  RM COBOL…, that’s it! am not sure if i got that one right!

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Believe it or not the monitor was huge (36 inch in length) black and white, “That is what I was told but really the blinking color was more green than white”, we used to work on this things for six hours maximum. We have come from far.