Being Left Behind Amidst Africa’s Rising Imagery: The Maasai In The World Of Information And Communication Technologies (ICTs)

• Main Author: Eric E Otenyo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australasian Association for Information Systems 2017-07-01
• Series: Australasian Journal of Information Systems
• Subjects: Maasai; Social Media; ICTs; Africa Rising; Indigenous people
• Online Access: http://journal.acs.org.au/index.php/ajis/article/view/1526

Today the media is replete with stories about Africa rising and enjoying middle –income status. Those promoting the narrative of Africa rising include the World Bank and western –trained elites. The narrative of success assumes that prosperity trickles down to Indigenous communities, who are pictured consuming mobile phones and tablets. At the same time, Hollywood and western media outlets continue to present images of Indigenous Maasai as a cultural export to be consumed. With emphasis on social media narratives, this paper interrogates the continued marginalisation of the Maasai people amidst the myth of a rising Africa. In sum, the Africa rising myth and penetration of ICTs in rural areas masks the dispossession of Maasai means of livelihood, and therefore worsening the groups’ conditions of living.