Kenyan presidential hopeful Raila Odinga is launching an augmented reality (AR) application to further his election campaign, allowing voters to access content on the campaign via mobile and Internet.
With a view to making “politics accessible”, the “Raila for President” app allows voters to view news and videos on the election campaign and information on the Kenyan electoral process.
It also features advanced image recognition technology powered by AR platform Aurasma.
The app is available for Android, iPhone and Blackberry devices, and there is also a Mobi site to facilitate mobile readership.
Explaining the concept of app-based campaigning, Odinga – who is currently the Prime Minister of Kenya – said: “When Kenyans go to the polls to vote for their President, their future will be in their hands and so will their mobile phones.”
He added: “By using Aurasma in our campaign app, we will be able to reach out to voters in a completely new way, making it easier for them to get information about the Presidential election process and my policies if elected.
“It is important to make politics accessible and satisfy Kenyan’s appetite for the latest technology and I am delighted to do both with the launch of this app.”
The vast majority of Kenyans will still have to resort to more traditional sources of information, however, as only 7 percent are currently in possession of a smartphone.
The app has been developed by British agency Blue Storm Solutions, incorporating the Aurasma platform.
Head of Partnerships at Aurasma, Matt Hills, said: “The Aurasma-enabled app is making it easier for voters to engage with Kenya’s democratic process.”
