Uhuru, Raila cronies storm cyberspace in search for votes
Kenyan politicians have stormed the cyberspace in their search for votes ahead of the August 8, 2017 General Elections.
The development comes in the wake of growing influence by the online community on political and social matters affecting the country.
This latest tactic is practiced by both the government and opposition politicians, Nairobi News has established.
On Friday for example, four topical issues related to the ongoing political campaigns were trending online, under the hashtags, #RailaonLandJustice, #Bomet (venue of political campaigns for President Uhuru Kenyatta), #IEBCbloodTender and #RailaMashambaIncitement.
3. Mr. Odinga and the ODM have been the single most consistent champions of fair land adjudication for the last decade #RailaOnLandJustice
— The ODM Party (@TheODMparty) June 16, 2017
Upto now; @IEBCKenya is defending the Al Ghuriar blood tender. Then Jubilee is defending IEBC. #IebcBloodTender
— D.I.K.E.M.B.E (@Disembe) June 16, 2017
RAILA is right on the land issue.We need to implement the TJRC recommendations.Uhuru received the report n hid it #RailaMashambaIncitement pic.twitter.com/skjls6Fb9M
— Dunia Wiki Hii (@dunia_411) June 16, 2017
Chebukati is inviting people to go and witness printing process. From his face, there is more meets the eye. Guilty. #IEBCbloodTender
— Jimmy amimo (@jimmyamimo) June 16, 2017
Nairobi News understands most of these trending topics are “sponsored”, with politicians having significantly invested in human resource and personnel in a bid to shape opinion among the Kenyan online community.
This move is reminiscent of the campaign strategy employed by US President Donald Trump last year, in which he largely ignored the mainstream media which had refused to warm up to him, and, instead, went vote hunting on Twitter and Facebook