In Kenya, influencers monetize their political messages before the presidential election

As the presidential election on August 9 approaches, a large number of Kenyan influencers are offering their services to candidates. If some do it out of political conviction, many others see it as an opportunity to make money, even if it means publishing anything and everything.

In Kenya, as elsewhere, social networks have become an essential battleground during election campaigns. And for the 2022 presidential election, local influencers are on the front line. With their tens of thousands of subscribers, their Facebook pages and Twitter accounts have become gold mines to exploit. Many of them offer politicians the opportunity to disseminate their ideas, respond to criticism or even start rumors about their opponents. Just pay. Creating and raising a hashtag can, for example, be charged 400 euros per day.

“Once (influencers) have grown their audience online, they monetize it, that means they push content for anyone who can pay.”

Alphonse Shiundu of the organization Africa Check

at AFP

High risk handling

Fake news, fake polls, faked images, hate speech… Everything is broadcast with impunity. However, this manipulation risks having serious consequences in Kenya, which has repeatedly experienced deadly violence during the election period. In a joint statement published last April, six civil society organizations warned of the threat posed by online disinformation.

“We are concerned that social media influencers have become mercenaries who manufacture misinformation and hate speech.”

Six civil society organizations in Kenya

in a press release

The hijacking of social networks, especially during election periods, is not a new phenomenon in Kenya. This practice was evident in previous elections, as an article by The Conversation (link in English) which cites the Cambridge Analytica scandal as an example.

The British company, which used the personal data of Facebook users for targeted communication, played a significant role in the deliberate publication of fake news during the 2013 and 2017 campaigns won by current President Uhuru Kenyatta.

This year, the electoral battle opposes two main candidates: the current vice-president William Ruto and the veteran Raila Odinga.