Welcome to the InfoSci Platform
Reference Hub6
Social Media and Youth Interest in Politics in Kenya

Social Media and Youth Interest in Politics in Kenya

Auma Churchill Moses Otieno, Lusike Lynete Mukhongo
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 12
ISBN13: 9781466641976|ISBN10: 1466641975|EISBN13: 9781466641983
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-4197-6.ch016
Cite Chapter Cite Chapter

MLA

Otieno, Auma Churchill Moses, and Lusike Lynete Mukhongo. "Social Media and Youth Interest in Politics in Kenya." New Media Influence on Social and Political Change in Africa, edited by Anthony A. Olorunnisola and Aziz Douai, IGI Global, 2013, pp. 273-284. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4197-6.ch016

APA

Otieno, A. C. & Mukhongo, L. L. (2013). Social Media and Youth Interest in Politics in Kenya. In A. Olorunnisola & A. Douai (Eds.), New Media Influence on Social and Political Change in Africa (pp. 273-284). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4197-6.ch016

Chicago

Otieno, Auma Churchill Moses, and Lusike Lynete Mukhongo. "Social Media and Youth Interest in Politics in Kenya." In New Media Influence on Social and Political Change in Africa, edited by Anthony A. Olorunnisola and Aziz Douai, 273-284. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2013. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4197-6.ch016

Export Reference

Mendeley
Favorite

Abstract

The youth in Kenya are by far the majority age-group, yet their role in politics is hampered by their inability to access mainstream political information. The objective of the study is to determine whether there is any relationship between the level of youth engagement on social media and their level of interest in politics. The study uses the post-test quasi experiment to compare political interest between a naturally occurring group of Facebook users and a naturally occurring group of non-Facebook users. The findings of the study reveal that Facebook has provided the youth with a platform where they can access political information in formats that are appealing to them. Consequently, young people have been able to mobilise themselves online and push for a political agenda. There is, therefore, need to open up online exchanges in order to create a place for young people in mainstream political discourse in Kenya.

Request Access

You do not own this content. Please login to recommend this title to your institution's librarian or purchase it from the IGI Global bookstore.