Politicians splash cash on branding to entice voters
A mad rush to erect political campaign billboards has seemingly taken the centre stage to attract and energise voters towards the August polls.
The billboard campaigns have taken major towns by storm with politicians seeking to broaden their appeal to the electorate.
Competition is rife and top politicians, led by Deputy President and Kenya Kwanza presidential candidate William Ruto and Azimio Coalition leader Raila Odinga, are leaving nothing to chance going by the manner the billboards are placed.
President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party has erected at least two to three major giant billboards strategically in all major towns. The billboards have been there for the last three months signifying the colossal amount of money the party has spent.
According to the Deputy Party leader in charge of programmes Peter Mositet, the bill boards are meant to illustrate the Jubilee administration achievements for the last nine and half years.
“The billboards indicate our party’s success. We want to show Kenyans why they must trust the party through transformative projects achieved during President Kenyatta’s tenure,” says Mositet.
Landlords with buildings in strategic positions are making a kill with a billboard measuring 10 by 12 metres costing up to Sh200,000 per month.
Unfortunately, the allure of quick money has seen landlords erect billboard platforms on top of their buildings risking lives.
“Billboard business is quick money. The politicians are desperate and outdoing each other on who has the financial muscle through outdoor advertisement. As landlords, we have set a standard of the amount we are charging clients. We are happy, the business is booming,” said John Njoroge, a landlord in Kitengela.
Less-moneyed politicians have been forced to use unorthodox means to erect their banners some hanging loosely on strings in the streets playing cat and mouse game with county government officials.
County officials are forced to pull down some of the banners hanging dangerously on the highway and electricity posts.
In Mombasa, big spenders are splashing their money on branding as seen on billboards and both public and private vehicles. For instance, Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir appears to follow the footsteps of outgoing governor Hassan Joho in going for the most strategic billboards.
This strategy of holding on to all spaces, located on prime locations in Port City created frenzy in 2017, with Joho dominating the prime billboards as other contenders were left to fight for the remaining outdoor advertising spaces.
But this time round, the spending seems to have gone a notch higher with candidates like Nassir and company, in a quest to attract the youthful voters investing in skippable In-Stream Video Ads and video ads on You tube.
