By Mary Mwendwa
Nairobi, Kenya: The European Center for Electoral Support (ECES) is implementing a peace project in Kenyan Counties ahead of the 2022 general election.
Together with National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC), the project dubbed the “Pro peace Kenya” is expected to contribute to advancing peace, security, and development in fragile Counties in Kenya by transforming grassroots communities into agents of peace, capable of managing their conflict through non-violent means.
The main activities will be strengthening cross-clan collaboration; promoting co-existence by taking into account the list of the banned words (the lexicon that NCIC published); fostering the role of women in peace building processes; supporting youth platforms for leadership in peace, reconciliation, and governance; and addressing violent extremism.
One of the important activities in the framework of this project is the monitoring of hate speech in media and social media. ECES and NCIC have just set up a media monitoring unit composed of twelve monitors; The training of monitors took place recently.
According to Amirouche Nedjaa, a Media monitoring expert, monitoring social media during the elections period is critical. “The growth of several digital platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Tiktok social media has become an increasingly important part of the way we communicate. A more and more important role in communication in general and in the communication of companies, civil society organizations, and electoral administrations.”
He further added how social media allow users to access first-hand information from around the world. And because it’s huge as Millions of people around the world are using social media networks.
Nedjaa noted that through social media networks, Political actors and candidates can bypass the traditional channels of communication and media to communicate.
“In the countries where major media groups are owned by a few influential people with political agendas, social media helps other interests to connect and to be heard” he says.
An important tool for institutions and political parties but the use of social media can undermine the electoral process if, fake news and hate speech is used by extremists to work against democracy.
The project is funded by the European Union under the Neighborhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument, the European Union and the Government of the Federal Republic of Kenya have agreed to continue development cooperation in support of democratic governance in Kenya.
