The Gap

As we approached the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, it became apparent that different regions of Kenya are equipped with different facilities, especially access to the internet. Once we arrived at camp in Namanga near the border, I sought a place whence I could post my impressions of the ride out of Nairobi south to the Mount Meru area. The logical spot to find an internet connection was in the border town of Namanga.

Unlike communities in the capital region, this town had no access. The broadband will, in the fullness of time, serve the town but it is dead zone at the moment. Curiously, there was a building that offered IT services. Upstairs, there were computer "labs". I stashed my bicycle and inquired with the instructors in the labs. Not only were the computers outdated (and I am not a geek), there was no internet access.

I indulged the students for whom I was an object of curiosity. They inquired about the Tour d' Afrique and I explained the twofold mandate: the encouragement of sustainable transport and the donation of bikes to African communities. This explanation met with amusement and we exchanged e-mail addresses with the prospect that this town's youth would receive a bike or two in the future. May the technology gap be narrowed for the benefit of all communities.