Challenges and Opportunities: Online Activism and Promotion of Accountability in Kenya

Abstract

Over the past few years, global discussion in support of online methods of activism as means towards enhanced accountability on public officials has been on the rise. The full aim of online activism has been to make governments around the world more accountable for their actions particularly in provision of information that would spur informed debate among the citizens and ensure service delivery. This study explores how online activists are engaging in internet-based activism and whether such efforts in demand for accountability among elected leaders in Kenya have had success. A qualitative study of online activists was conducted to learn more about the processes, challenges and opportunities found in online activism and whether such efforts bear any fruits on the ground.  The results show that online activism is vibrant in Kenya and that there exists an intersection between online activism and offline activism behavior. In addition, use of more than one tool was found to improve success rates of an online activist efforts. Finally, results show that the room for growth in online activism is endless further and new and seasoned activists are quick to adopt and make use of new internet-based communication tools.