GeoKenya is a React Native mobile application built with Expo that provides comprehensive geographic information about Kenya's administrative divisions, specifically focusing on wards, counties, and constituencies. All operations run 100% locally - no internet connection required after initial installation. The app uses SQLite with Spatialite for offline geospatial data storage and leverages modern React Native development practices.

Note: This is currently an Android-only project. iOS support is not yet implemented.

• Node.js (LTS version recommended)
• Android Studio (for Android development/emulator)
• pnpm package manager (preferred) or npm

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/tigawanna/geo-kenya
   cd geo-kenya
   npm install
   npm run build:android

   Using pnpm (recommended):

Important: This application requires a native build due to its custom Expo modules and SQLite with Spatialite extensions. The development server alone will not provide full functionality.

For development testing on a physical device or emulator:

npm run build:android

For creating a preview APK:

npm run build-apk

Note: A native build is required for the application to function properly due to the custom SQLite with Spatialite module and map functionality.

• 100% Offline Operation - All data and functionality work without internet connection
• View comprehensive information about Kenya's 1,450+ wards, 47 counties, and 290 constituencies
• Real-time location-based ward detection and distance calculations
• Interactive map with ward boundaries and search by placing pin on map
• Advanced search and filtering through geographic data
• Material Design 3 with dynamic color theming (Material You)
• Dark/light mode with automatic system preference detection
• Local SQLite database with Spatialite extension for geospatial queries
• Responsive UI optimized for mobile devices
• Location search by coordinates (latitude, longitude)

Find wards closest to your current location with distance calculations (all computed locally)

Note: For improved location accuracy, consider enabling your network/WiFi connection alongside location services, even though the app works completely offline.

The app automatically adapts to your device's color scheme

Green Theme Variant

Yellow Theme Variant

Purple Theme Variant

The geographic data used in this application is available in a separate repository: kenya_wards_geojson_data. This dataset contains GeoJSON files for Kenya's administrative boundaries that can be used in your own projects.

src/
├── app/                    # File-based routing with Expo Router
│   ├── (tabs)/             # Tab navigation screens
│   │   ├── index.tsx         # Home screen (current location)
│   │   ├── explore.tsx       # Explore screen (ward list)
│   │   └── settings.tsx      # Settings screen
│   ├── ward-by-id/         # Ward detail screens by ID
│   ├── ward-by-lat-long/   # Ward detail screens by coordinates
│   ├── _layout.tsx         # Root layout with providers
│   └── +not-found.tsx      # 404 screen
├── components/             # Reusable UI components
│   ├── locations/          # Location-based components
│   │   ├── form/             # Input forms (coordinate search)
│   │   ├── list/             # Ward listings
│   │   ├── maps/             # Map components
│   │   ├── proximity/        # Proximity-based components
│   │   └── single-ward/      # Individual ward components
│   ├── default/            # Default UI components
│   └── state-screens/      # State screens (loading, error, empty)
├── constants/              # Application constants
├── data-access-layer/      # Database query layer
├── hooks/                  # Custom React hooks
├── lib/                    # Library integrations and utilities
├── store/                  # Global state management
├── modules/                # Custom Expo modules
└── utils/                  # Utility functions

• Framework: React Native with Expo
• Navigation: Expo Router (file-based routing)
• UI Library: React Native Paper with Material Design 3
• State Management: Zustand for global state, React Query for local data caching
• Database: SQLite with Spatialite extension via custom Expo modules (100% local)
• ORM: Drizzle ORM for type-safe database operations
• Storage: AsyncStorage for persisted settings and preferences
• Maps: MapLibre GL for interactive mapping
• Geospatial: Local coordinate calculations and distance computations

GeoKenya includes powerful interactive map functionality:

1. Visualize Wards: View ward boundaries with color-coded styling for the selected ward and its neighbors
2. Pin Placement Search: Tap anywhere on the map to search for the nearest ward at that location
3. Coordinate Search: Enter latitude and longitude coordinates to find specific wards
4. Location Services: Use device GPS to automatically find your current ward
5. County Boundaries: Visualize Kenya's 47 counties with labeled overlays

GeoKenya offers multiple ways to find wards:

• Automatically detect your current ward using device GPS
• Find nearby wards with distance calculations

• Enter latitude and longitude coordinates in the search bar (e.g., "-1.2921, 36.8219")
• Find wards at specific geographic points

• Tap anywhere on the map to search for the nearest ward at that location
• Visualize ward boundaries and neighboring wards

• Search wards by name, county, or constituency
• Filter through the complete list of 1,450+ wards

This project builds upon several excellent open-source libraries and tools:

1. expo-material3-theme - Our dynamic color implementation is based on this project, which provides Material You theme generation for Expo applications.

2. android-spatialite - Our Expo Spatialite module is based on this Android library, which provides Spatialite extension support for SQLite on Android.

3. maplibre-react-native - Interactive map rendering and manipulation.

We're grateful to the maintainers of these projects for their excellent work that made GeoKenya possible.

GeoKenya operates entirely offline - your location data never leaves your device. All geographic calculations, database queries, and ward lookups are performed locally using the embedded SQLite database with Spatialite extensions.

This is currently an Android-only project. While the codebase uses cross-platform technologies, it has only been tested and optimized for Android devices. iOS support is not yet implemented and may require additional work to function properly.