In a push of its Generation Z package, Liquid Telecom Kenya has turned to connect high traffic churches ad mosques in the country to get them and their members onlline.
The firm has just announced its new CITAM Church Online service is already reaching over 1,200 YouTube subscribers, with 157 motivational and biblical videos posted by CITAM’s bishop, pastors, reverends, and guest speakers that have achieved over 70,205 views in under 3 months – thanks to the church’s new MPLS-based Wide Area Network, installed by Liquid Telecom Kenya to interlink CITAM’s 19 branches.
The new network has connected the church’s branches at 10Mbps and its headquarters at a 100Mbps, with just one church in Kapsabet in Nandi County connected with a high-speed wireless link.
A recent analysis by CITAM found that Kenya’s 20.3m Generation-Z youth are barely attending church. But the generation is digitally native, with an around-the-clock video diet made up of streamed content, including vlogs on YouTube, across entertainment, news and self-teaching tips.
“We have decided to take the Gospel creatively and intentionally into this space, which is the ‘in’ thing, the common thing, and the future thing for our target audience. This will enable CITAM to faithfully live out its vision with this generation, which comprises the pre-churched, un-churched and de-churched urban populace that has embraced massive digital migration. It will entail taking our Sunday and weekday services to the masses online,” said David Oginde, CITAM’s Presiding Bishop.
LTK is also powering a new E-board platform for the church. The platform manages board papers, minutes, decision papers, agendas, and a voting module for board meetings and performance evaluations.
Other sections of the church benefiting from the new high-speed Internet include Hope Media, CITAM Schools – which will now benefit from digital learning and connected computer labs – and CITAM’s Kadolta Resort in Keserian, Kajiado County.
“The rapid growth and development of technology, especially (ICT), is having a major impact globally across every sector, including churches. As the country’s leading ISP, Liquid Telecom is committed to offering high-speed Internet solutions to help every organisation realise its growth and maximum potential,” said Adil El Youssefi, CEO, Liquid Telecom Kenya.
In addition to its digital launch, Liquid Telecom’s connectivity has enabled the church to set-up a Microsoft Dynamics application to handle its enterprise resource planning, which is accessible from all of its branches.
“We have invested in ICT to enhance CITAM’s efficiency in service delivery to our members,” said Rev. Elias Mwaura CITAM’s Director for Administration.
CITAM is present in 10 counties: Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos, Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, Nandi, Nakuru, Meru and Nyeri. Internationally, it is in the USA, Romania, East Timor and Namibia with five functional local missions stations in the Northern frontier.