The Use of Social Media Concerning The Political Participation During Crises In Developing Countries: A Case Study of How The Youth In Kenya Seek Justice Against #CovidMillionaires

The growth of the Internet across the world has diversified the manner in which political and crisis communication takes place everywhere. Young people in developing countries such as Kenya are using social media platforms to interact with each other, get new information and news and seek accountability from their political leaders. In this front, Facebook and Twitter have been among the leading social media applications that have brought together a large number of users across the developing world. This study aimed to investigate how the youth in tertiary institutions in Kenya, used Twitter and Facebook to engage with public institutions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study particularly focused on how these youths used Facebook and Twitter to seek justice after a news expose’ highlighted how individuals became millionaires out of the pandemic (#CovidMillionaires) aired on Nation TV on August 16, 2020. Using survey research method, the study collected data through a questionnaire consisting of 40 questions (n=315) which was administered to undergraduate and graduate students at two universities in Kenya. The study was guided by the theoretical framework of Social-Mediated Crisis Communication (SMCC) Model, Uses and Gratifications Theory and Agenda Setting theories. Findings show that participants heavily relied on Twitter and Facebook to obtain political news and engage in political discourse. It further establishes that social media are critical communication channels that empower young people to seek accountability from the government and other leaders. On whether online political participation is more effective than offline political participation, the study concludes that although the youth in tertiary institutions in Kenya do not actively engage in offline political participation, the conversations that take place online like #CovidMillionaires are making the youth to be more interested to participate in offline political activities. Consequently, Twitter and Facebook are critical platforms that might enhance offline political participation in developing countries.