Social Media Disinformation and Kenya’s 2022 General Elections: Mitigation Options

Executive Summary

This policy paper addresses the prevailing social media trends, opportunities, and threats as well as the effectiveness of the existing legislative frameworks governing social media spaces within the context of the upcoming and highly competitive 2022 general elections. The most noteworthy threat is the upsurge of disinformation and misinformation by political actors as they advance their agenda. This is occasioned by the limited capacity to fact-check, regulate, and prosecute the adversities of social media disinformation and misinformation. Even with a myriad of laws governing various aspects on the social media space, experts opine that their implementations are disjointed, ambiguous, and inadequate to the prevailing realities. In order to mitigate these threats to Kenya’s democracy, the paper proposes a multi-sectoral approach against disinformation and misinformation. This should be undertaken continually, before, during, and after elections. There is also need for continued public awareness on social media misuse and harmonization of the legislative frameworks, which will be needed to legalize the
proactive interventions like lawful surveillance of the social media space, prosecution of offenders, mandating social media companies to self-regulate, and institutionalize fact checking.