The ‘dual system’ thesis has been used to describe the continuing commitment of urban migrants to the village in various African countries. According to literature, urban workers maintain strong ties with the rural area, even after spending a substantial amount of time in the city. One way in which these ties are maintained is through urban‐to‐rural remittances.
In March of 2007, an m‐banking application called M‐PESA was introduced into the Kenyan market. This application allows for person‐to‐person (P2P) transfers of e-money via mobile phone, and facilitates urban‐to‐rural remittances. This study will use ethnographic data collected in a Kenyan slum to show that M‐PESA is becoming a tool for the maintenance of urban-rural relations. It will further assert that because it is helping migrants to maintain such relations, it is facilitating survival in the ‘dual system’.
The ‘dual system’ thesis has been used to describe the continuing commitment of urban migrants to the village in various African countries. According to literature, urban workers maintain strong ties with the rural area, even after spending a substantial amount of time in the city. One way in which these ties are maintained is through urban‐to‐rural remittances.
In March of 2007, an m‐banking application called M‐PESA was introduced into the Kenyan market. This application allows for person‐to‐person (P2P) transfers of e-money via mobile phone, and facilitates urban‐to‐rural remittances. This study will use ethnographic data collected in a Kenyan slum to show that M‐PESA is becoming a tool for the maintenance of urban-rural relations. It will further assert that because it is helping migrants to maintain such relations, it is facilitating survival in the ‘dual system’.
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