Moi University students have developed a mobile application-Finplar app that will revolutionize the spending and saving habits of Kenyans who likes to overspending.
The solution-based application helps regulate overspending or impulse buying a culture synonymous with most Kenyans.
Debra Jepkemoi a Fourth-year student at the school of Information science Moi University and her associate Masinde Isack says the mobile application will help users and more so students enforce their budgets.
“The application allows users to set their budgets. It then calculates the funds required for the month and asks the user to deposit the funds. Over the next month, the user will transact from this virtual wallet never being allowed to exceed his daily budget. This ensures that they always have access to money to cater to their basic needs,” said Masinde Jack while speaking to the pres.
He noted that the joint Moi University, KNATCOM-UNESCO Mobile development workshop set the strong foundation that was required to not just build this application but to commercialize it.
“Kenyans and the rest of the world have used such a tool and without a doubt will have it. This fits perfectly with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals particularly Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, No Poverty and Responsible Consumption and Production,” he said.
“The app speaks to what is happening to us in our day-to-day lives. Once you have money in your pocket you may end up spending it recklessly. However with the app, we can limit overspending,” added Jepkemoi.
Finplar App has been linked to PayPal and M-pesa and will also help address issues such as poverty concomitant to poor spending habits and lack of a saving culture.
“We can curb the issue of global unbudgeted spending through Finplar. Once you deposit money in this application, it breaks that amount to your daily needs and you can’t spend more than the available cash planned for,” said Masinde.
The Finplar mobile application is part of the ten innovations developed within one week at Moi University in collaboration with The Kenya National Commission for UNESCO.
The Mobile applications were developed with a special focus on sustainable development goals SDGs.
“The solution-oriented mobile applications are leveraging technology to raise awareness on the Sustainable Development goals aimed at addressing real problems in the community “Said Prof Masibo Lumala the Director institute of open and Distance learning.
Our Universities should also invest more in applied research; we have so much academic research that mostly ends up in the library accumulating dust, as a university we are now asking the hard question: how can we contribute to carrying out research that informs policy? Paused Prof Lumala.
Angela Silima the deputy director and Information (KNATCOM) emphasized the need to have the innovations copyrighted,
“The innovators have been sensitized on how to have their innovations protected through copyright, this will preserve ownership,”he said.
Prof Khaemba Ongeti assured the innovators that Moi University will help in the commercialization of outstanding innovations,
“Moi University is an apex entrepreneurial university, we are focusing on what researchers can do to connect with the industry, that will make us relevant to society and the industry” Prof. Ongeti opined.