Gatundu North residents and clerics have called on leaders and politicians to cease mudslinging and personal attacks on social media ahead of next year’s general elections.
The locals claim that the surge in online discourse is obscuring substantive policy debate on issues that affect the electorate including the high cost of living and unemployment besides soiling the reputation of respected individuals in the society.
The residents led by Paul Njoroge and Pastor Mugo Kaiba noted with concern that as candidates move from traditional rallies to digital spaces, the intensity of personal attacks has increased adding that even innocent individuals who are uninterested in politics are being dragged in the mud.
They spoke at the sidelines of a community meeting in Gatukuyu town, Gatundu North on Tuesday.
“It’s high time that the relevant authorities including the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) act swiftly to regulate political activities on social media. If left unchecked, individuals and their businesses as well as families will be ruined. The rising political notoriety on social media is also detrimental to the country’s peace and cohesion ahead of next year’s elections,” Njoroge said.
They singled out the recent social media attacks false accusations against Josephine Njeri, a businesswoman who hails from Gatundu North, claiming that she is interested in the constituency’s MP seat.
For the last one week, unknown individuals using pseudo names and social media accounts have been spreading rumors that the business magnate is seeking a political office in the next elections, accusations that have been strongly refuted by her close confidants.
“She [Njeri], is a philanthropist who has been supporting the vulnerable including widows, orphans and even churches in Gatundu North and in other areas. Last month we were in Kajiado and Machakos helping vulnerable groups in the communities. It should be known that she is not interested in any political office anywhere across the country, she only does her work as a philanthropist,” Njoroge, a close confidant to the businesswoman said.
Pastor Mugo Kaiba reiterated that area residents acknowledge the current elected leaders and they fully support them so as to foster growth and developments across the constituency.
“Elections are still far and we want our current leaders to bring us more developments. The online wars being started will only derail growth in our constituency and create animosity among supporters. It’s imperative for the relevant authorities to curb the misinformation and disinformation being peddled on social media,” Kaiba said.
Residents Beth Njeri and Irene Nyambura asserted that politicians and those aspiring for political seats have been hiring ‘ armies’ of influencers and social media keyboard warriors to harass opponents as well as create confusion among the electorate.
They noted with concern that those propagating the online political discourse are youths.
“It’s sad that our youths are being misused to peddle political propaganda. We are pleading with them to make proper use of social media platforms since there are numerous opportunities in the digital space which they can exploit and make a decent living,” Nyambura said.
The residents urged politicians to use social media for articulating policy rather than fighting, noting that online mudslinging threatens to incite division and hostility, especially among young supporters.
Police and authorities have warned that individuals, including those hired by politicians, who share inflammatory messages will face arrest and prosecution.
Online attacks often come from supporters believing they can influence elections, but this can sometimes backfire on the candidates themselves
The overarching message to politicians is to foster a respectful, dialogue-based, and peaceful environment on social media as the country prepares for future elections.
