THE ROLE OF CONTEXTUAL FACTORS IN THE UPTAKE AND CONTINUANCE OF MOBILE MONEY USAGE IN KENYA

The use of mobile money, mobile payments and other related mobile financial transactions in Africa vary from one country to another. This can be attributed to the level of technology maturity, a country's level of social-economic development and the financial transactions ecosystem. The study investigates usage patterns and adoption of mobile money in day-to-day person-to-person money transfers using mobile telephone, mobile payments and integration of mobile money in financial services in Kenya. The study explores the underlying contextual social and economic factors influencing successful use of mobile money in Kenya by probing the pre-usage (before mobile money) transfer of funds and the innovation attributes of mobile money that could have positively influenced this rapid uptake and continuance intentions. The study employs a survey questionnaire and two focus groups to collect data from mobile money users. The study result indicates that pre-usage methods of money transfers significantly influenced initial uptake of mobile money in Kenya while its technical attributes have sustained a positive influence on continuance intentions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.