Perceptions on Facebook and Ethnic relations during general elections in Kenya.

Abstract

With the growth of social media use among the youth in Kenya, many have taken to this platform to use it as a way to share information. Not much is known about the extent to which Facebook was used to fan Ethnicity during the 2017 General election period in Kenya. The study was carried out in Chuka University, Tharaka Nithi county, Kenya. Descriptive survey research design was used to carry out this study. Data collection was done using questionnaires. It was found that hateful messages were frequently shared on Facebook during the 2017 General elections in Kenya. It was also found that messages posted on Facebook negatively influenced ethnic relations in Kenya and to an extent contributed to election related violence. The study suggested that the Government of Kenya should ensure that laws against divisive messages and hate speech are clearly spelt out and publicized especially to the Facebook users