M-sema: The making of a messaging app

Amos Njeru the CEO M-SEMA 24/7 pro. He has developed a mobile app that is able to send group, personalised text messages to unlimited number of people. (PHOTO: Joseph Muchiri, Standard)

NAIROBI, KENYA: In the run-up to the August 8 elections, you may have received a text asking you to vote for a particular candidate.

The message probably addressed you by name, and you may have wondered how the candidate’s campaign team got your number or full name.

Amos Njeru may help explain how. He is the founder of M-Sema 24/7 Pro, a mobile app that enables users to send information, events or alerts to thousands of subscribers.

Amos is pursuing a second degree in health records and information management at Mt Kenya University, but developed the app out of a passion for technology. His first degree was in applied statistics. The inspiration for the app, he says, came after he observed that various groups, government agencies and corporates face challenges relaying information to large numbers of people.

“While social media platforms have eased the way we communicate, to access the information on these platforms, one must have a smartphone and be connected to the Internet. I was looking to solve this challenge by developing a platform that allows one to receive group messages even if they have a basic phone,” Amos, who is 39, says.

While other group messaging apps exist, Amos says the uniqueness his platform provides is that it personalises messages, referring to recipients by name.

“The app also allows a user to form a group with an unlimited number of members, reduces costs of sending texts by 90 per cent and allows for remote registration, where targeted recipients can join a group by sending their details to an app account holder,” he says.

But it wasn’t easy setting up M-Sema. It took Amos three years to develop the app – including the time spent analysing the problem, coding and piloting it for six months.

He developed the app in partnership with Said Suchyar from Pakistan. Inclusive of the costs of labour and hiring consultants, Amos says developing the app cost Sh3 million.

Said raised Sh2 million of this amount as part of a shareholding deal where he retains 25 per cent of the company, while Amos raised Sh1 million from his savings, and his family and friends.

Amos launched the app in September last year, and has so far got 100 users. They buy the app at a one-off fee of between Sh60,000 and Sh150,000, depending on the level of customisation they want.

M-Sema’s target group includes county governments, who can use the app to communicate events like the release of bursaries or floating of tenders.

“The app can be used to reach almost any group – be it Mama Mbogas, boda boda riders or parents in a school,” says Amos.

To join the service, he configures a client’s phone to enable it to send messages to the preferred group. The client incurs the usual cost of buying SMS bundles from mobile telephony firms, which is relatively inexpensive for large bundles.

The app is copyrighted as a literary work by the Kenya Copyright Board, a step Amos relies on to ensure his work isn’t copied. He is now hoping to partner with a mobile services firm that can sell phones with the M-Sema app in-built.

Amos’ tips on creating an app

1. Solve a problem: The app must solve a problem. If your idea of developing an app is to make money or get fame without helping people, then you’re set to fail. 
The app should also intuitively serve users so that they are able to appreciate it, and where possible, use it offline.

2. Find a mentor: Work with someone who will help you streamline how the app solves a problem. Network widely with people in the industry. You don’t need to have a degree in IT to make an app, so mentors will help fill any gaps in development or guide you on hiring professional developers.

3. Plan on actualising the idea: Have a concrete plan on you how will work on developing the app from scratch to completion. Draft a problem statement and a proposal on how it will work. Preparation is the only way to get a functional app that users can easily navigate and enjoy.

4. Test the app: Test the app on people who don’t have a background in IT to make sure it’s easy to use and solves the problem it set out to.