Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Library and Information Science, in the Faculty of Arts at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2004. / The purpose of this study was to investigate the ditTusion of Information and
Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the communication of agricultural information
among agricultural researchers and extension workers in Kenya. In particular. the study
focused on the public agricultural sector and covered the Kenya Agricultural Research
Institute (KARI) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MoARD).
A survey research method. comprising a self-completed questionnaire and a structured
interview schedule was utilized to gather data from the respondents. This was
supplemented by observation and document review. The questionnaire was used to solicit
information from agricultural researchers and extension workers. while the face to lilCe
interview was used to obtain information from the key informants of the study. The
agricultural researchers were drawn from the 21 KARI research centres distributed in all
the eight provinces of Kenya and strategically spread to cater for different agroecological
zones and socio-economic systems. The extension workers, on the other hand.
were drawn from the Uasin Gishu and Baringo Districts, while the Key informants of the
study were drawn from all the institutions surveyed.
A total of 356 respondents compnsmg 159 agricultural researchers, 138 extension
workers and 59 key informants participated in this study. The completed questionnaires
were reviewed to determine their usability. Two questionnaires were discarded because
they were incomplete. A total 01'295 questionnaires (159 agricultural researchers and 136
extension workers) and 59 recorded interviews were usable. This brought the lotal
number ofrespondents to 354.
It was observed that KARI and MoARD had adopted a wide variety of ICT tools and
services in an effort to facilitate information sharing and exchange among agricultural
researchers. extension workers, farmers and other actors involved in research and
extension. These ranged from modern ICT based on digital information that included
computers, the Internet and emaiL electronic sources. scanners. digital cameras among
others. Traditional ICTs based largely on analogue information wa\'Cs included radio
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cassettes, tape recorders, television. video cameras, VCR. telephone. fax (analogue and
digital) among others. lt was further established that the Agricultural Information Centre
(AIC) had a modern radio studio equipped with professional sound recording equipment
and editing suites amongst a variety of other video production facilities. The wide range
of leT models adopted addressed the ditTerent kinds of intormation needs and
commtmication problems encountered by agricultural researchers. extension workers and
fanners.
The agricultural researchers and extension workers had a critical need for information
that was specific to the nature of their work. In addition. they needed information on
agricultural policies and meteorology. The intormation needs of the two categories of
respondents were met through the use of print and electronic sources. Agricultural
researchers obtained useful infornlation from the Internet and CD-ROM databases with
TEEAL database having the most useful information, while the Kenya Agricultural
Research Database (KARD) provided useful information on local content. In contrast. the
extension workers were disadvantaged as the majority lacked skills and physical access to
ICTs. Their information needs were, therefore, met through the use of printed sources of
information, and by attendance of meetings, workshops and seminars,
Most of the respondents used ICTs to communicate among themselves and also with
actors involved in research and extension. The Internet and email was used for
consultation purposes, for communicating agricultural information, for research purposes
and for collaborative projects with other colleagues. Radio, television and video were
used in disseminating agricultural information to the farming community. Mobile phones
were found to be a convenient means of communicating short messages. It was observed
that use ofICTs had increased the respondents' work productivity and creativity.
Information literacy programmes were taking place in the institutions surveyed although
at different levels of intensity and continuity. Through the programme most of the
respondents had improved their skills on the use of computers. Internet, emaiI and
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electronic sources. The programmes were better coordinated and managed at KARI than
the Ministry of agriculture.
Although ICTs had facilitated communication of agricultural information among actors
involved in research and extension. it was yet to improve the linkage between agricultural
researchers and extension workers. For ICTs to be levera~ed in the agricultural sector. it ~ ~
was observed tbat the agricultural researchers and extension workers should work more
closely as tbeir activities are interrelated. Each group should play their roles in the multifaceted
process of transmitting new knowledge of farm technology to farmers and getting
their leedback.
An attempt had been made to formulate institutional ICT policies to guide the dilTusion
of ICTs at KARl and the Ministry of Agriculture. Implementation of these policies had
been hampered by the lack of adequate funds. poor infrastructure and lack of
commitment by some of the policy makers. The policies had also failed to address the
over-reliance of donor funded projects, capacity building and skill development and to
bring institutional changes. It was observed that the Kenya Government had formulated
policies to guide liberalization. privatization and tariff reform. These policies had been
implemented to a greater extent and had paved the way for the involvement of the private
sector in the development of the various sectors of economy in the country. The
government was also in the process of formUlating a comprehensive national ICT policy
to provide guidelines in the ICT sector.
Despite the efforts to expand and modernize lCTs in the agricultural sector, its gro\\1h
had been hampered by a number of constraints and challenges. Among them includc
inadequate funding; poor infrastructure: inadequate skill development; lack of
comprehensive national and institutional ICT policies: lack of monitoring and evaluation
system; inadequate provision of ICTs tools and services; poor maintenance, and overreliance
of donor funded projects leading to a low level of sustainability. To address these
problems requires the intervention and interaction of all the stakeholders in the
agricultura~ and ICT sector and also involvement of the government. The study
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recommends the following: improvement of telecommunication inti'astructure and rural
electritication: tormulation of comprehensive institutional and national lCT policies:
alternative sources of tinance: employment of more IT personnel: comprehensive
strategies on lCT skills development: reduction of taxes on lCT tools and services:
development of responsive content: development of monitoring and evaluation
mechanisms tor lCT projects: improvement of communication between agricultural
researchers and extension workers: and adoption of FAO Virtual Extension. Research and
Communication Network (VERCON) system to improve the linkage among and between
actors involved in research and extension.
It is concluded that despite the constraints and challenges encountered in the application
and use of lCTs in the agricultural sector. a wide variety of ICTs had been adopted to
tacilitate information sharing and exchange among agricultural researchers and extension
workers. The application and use of these lCTs have a greater role to play in the context
of the changing paradigms in agricultural research and extension. where linear
information flows are being replaced by pluralistic information flows.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uzulu/oai:uzspace.unizulu.ac.za:10530/905 |
| Date | January 2004 |
| Creators | Kiplang'at, Joseph |
| Contributors | Ocholla, D.N., Adigun, M. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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