In Kenya, the presidential election will be held next August. The race for power is also taking place on social networks. Although they deny it, the main candidates recruit influencers to promote their image.
They are Kenyan, they are young, they have a lot of followers and they are paid by campaign teams to relay the messages of the candidates. ” This is a phenomenon that we have observed. The problem is that all the information they broadcast is not accurate. The lack of enforcement of laws against disinformation and hate speech allows them to operate freely says Alphonce Shiundu, editor of Africa Check Kenya, an information verification NGO.
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All means are good to convince citizens, false information and diverted messages circulate abundantly on social networks. In a country where 12 million people use the internet according to the UN, the influence of influencers is considerable. Africa Check Kenya deplores disinformation campaigns that have started on the net. They are made to discredit opponents. Several methods are used: This can include a video taken out of context. For example, I think of an old video, which dates from 2010, but which is broadcast today in 2022, as if it were recent. They also use fake tweets and make photo montages. »
To fight against this kind of manipulation, Alphonce Shiundu recommends educating citizens about the media. He is part of Fumbua, a collective of journalists, which was created for this purpose last February.
Kenyan deputy president grinning next to body of late president Kibaki? No, image altered.https://t.co/CGU83Op2KN
— Africa Check in Kenya (@AfricaCheck_KE) April 28, 2022