Traditional, social media critical in political game
Kenya’s frenetic succession race has become a political game of tactics likely to result in the capitulation of one of the two main contenders, going by the dramatic events this past week.
The grinding crunch for votes to tilt the balance in the presidential contest has reached a crescendo in the vicious political and integrity battles between Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition party and the Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
Witness the storm over the degree saga surrounding Nairobi governor candidate, Senator Johnson Sakaja, that continues to hog headlines in the dailies, dominating prime time on TV, radio and the rampant social media.
Both traditional media and social media are critical players in this political game of timing, tactics and attacks, as both reach massive audiences that aspirants are targeting to capture crucial votes.
Vital platforms where politicians articulate views, policies or agenda, and flaws. Important messaging and PR focal points, mass media are centres of attention bringing candidates closest to potential voters.
Both media are powerful instruments in the game of electoral combat. Although both are considered mass media disseminating information to massive audiences, the difference is that social media can reach more people compared to traditional media.
Another major difference – social media lets people or users connect with known and unknown people while traditional media focuses on keeping people aware of various issues, including politics.
Traditional media only support one-way communication. Social media lets people communicate two-way. Unlike traditional media, social media users can leave reactions and comments. Alarmingly, they are also platforms for misinformation, rumours, scams, and fake news.
Social media in Kenya is now the perfect theatre in this dirty game of tactics, nay political wars of attrition to score points against opponents, as the Sakaja degree saga amply demonstrates.
Mounting perennial public attacks in public rallies and in both media against adversaries can be politically suicidal since counter-offensives can be laser-guided to bomb initiators of such attacks.
In conventional warfare, just as in political warfare, heavy artillery is highly effective in neutralising the enemy, a current trend in the fiery exchanges between the two leading horses. After sustained salvos on Azimio leader Raila Odinga and the estranged President Uhuru Kenyatta, Deputy President William Ruto and his abrasive Kenya Kwanza lieutenants are receiving a barrage of counterattacks in kind as the game of tactics intensifies.
Belligerence at adversaries attracts damaging return fires, as the well-oiled Kenya Kwanza marathon campaign machinery is experiencing in the penultimate stage of the slugfest.
The Sakaja saga is a major distraction, as is his DP nominee Rigathi Gachagua’s fallout with allies William Kabogo and Moses Kuria, leaving Ruto with the unenviable dual task of damage control and tactical maneouvres at a critical moment in an explosive contest.
Meanwhile, the galloping Azimio leader, adept and experienced at tactical political games, his national line-up intact, manifesto launched buoyed by positive opinion polls, enthusiastic supporters and sharp-tongued honchos, is firing retorts.
For Raila, the succession race has climaxed into a relay. Receiving the baton from President Kenyatta and tucking Kalonzo Musyoka into line, he has passed the baton to Martha Karua for the dash to the finishing line.
Whether Ruto and allies will successfully control the image and integrity damage and launch their manifesto in time to overtake the sprinting Azimio team remains to be seen in the traditional and social media.
—The writer comments on politics and justice affairs. – [email protected]
