The Internet Journey for Kenya: The Interplay of Disruptive Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Fueling Rapid Growth

Abstract The Internet has witnessed a dramatic evolution since its launch in 1995, presenting a myriad of opportunities to society and to enterprises, in particular, through access to information. This evolution has also presented significant challenges, including new competition, changing customer engagement and business models, unprecedented transparency, privacy concerns, and cybersecurity threats. This chapter draws on the theory of disruptive innovation pioneered by Christensen (“ Executive Forum , 81 (2), 27–37”, 2001) in exploring the interplay of disruptive innovation and entrepreneurship in fueling rapid ICT growth in Kenya. The theory explained how a business model is likely to succeed by coming from the lower end of the market and eventually disrupting and taking over the market as the pioneers of each new technology or business process attempt to dominate their competitors. The theory is used to explain these phenomena and is adapted to examine not just the success of the business model, but also to explain the sustaining disruptive effects on the entire market by entrants as challengers of the incumbents. This provides a theoretical lens through which to view the market experience acquired through continuous market engagement by the author in a consultancy practice in Kenya over the last 20 years.