I think MPESA has helped distribute wealth to the bottom of the pyramid. There are thousands of people in the rural remote areas now who are able to receive money from more fortunate relatives etc. simply because the channel to send the money exists and is accessible. Imagine trying to send 300/= to a villager 5 years ago and the bank charges plus transport to the "nearest" town where the bank has a branch, plus bank restricted opening hours,plus queues in the bank, plus possible lodging costs, plus other compexities that would have involved! Economists also say (
http://blog.icresource.com/2008/03/01/principles-of-economic-circulation/) that wealth is not just having money, but also how FAST that m oney circulates in the economy. One person having 1000/= in a week is not the same as 7 people handling that same 1000/= through 7 separate transactions in the same week. In this way I think MPESA has revolutionarised the lives of Kenyans beyond doubt, created new wealth, inreased GDP by improving CIRCULATION of money and helped to redistribute wealth, especially to the bottom of the pyramid. A person in the village able to receive money in an easier way from more fortunate realtives is also able to invest, e.g. in agriculture, education, health, etc. at the grassroots. To mis-quote a certain obscure philospher of yore, MPESA is the mother of all killer applications!