Components of KACE MILS

The KACE MILS involves harnessing modern ICTs to empower farmers with low-cost reliable and timely market information to enhance the bargaining power of the farmer for a better price in the market place, and to link the farmer to markets more efficiently and profitably. The components of the KACE MILS are:

•    Rural based Market Information Points (MIPs)

which are information kiosks located in rural markets and serve as sources of reliable and timely market information for farmers (e.g. current commodity prices in different markets), as well as provide the market linkage through matching commodity offers and bids. There are 9 MIPs located in western, Nyanza, Rift Valley and Eastern provinces of Kenya.

•    District-level Market Information Centres (MICs)

 

 which have internet connectivity and serve as liaison points between KACE and the remote MIPs. There are 3 MICs: in Eldoret, Bungoma and Kisumu.

•    Mobile Phone Short Messaging Service (SMS)

 

which uses mobile telephony for information delivery to farmers; the service is provided in partnership with the Safaricom Limited, the leading mobile phone service provider in Kenya with currently over 3 million subscribers.

•    Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

 

service which uses voice mail for information delivery, where a user dials a special phone number (0900552055) to access the information through simple menu steps; this service is provided in partnership with the Interactive Media Services Limited.

•    Internet based database system, where information is disseminated through the internet based electronic database and website: www.kacekenya.com