An Incisive Analysis of the Regulatory Framework Governing the Social Media in Kenya (Research Paper Sample)

An Incisive Analysis of the Regulatory Framework Governing the Social Media in Kenya
Introduction
Social media has become a key aspect in Kenyan public discourse, facilitating online discussions while at the same time being a key subject of scholarly, socio-cultural, economic and political debates. Social networking has become a new obsession of internet users worldwide. Internet is flooded with social networking sites like Facebook, Orkut, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace, LinkedIn, Google plus and so on; most of them offering similar services but operating in different genres.[Jaspher Otieno, ‘Regulation of Media Content in Kenya: In Search of a Paradigm in the Era of Convergence,’ Saudi Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences at accessed 21 March 2020 p 14.]
The ICT sector in Kenya has grown rapidly into a Silicon Savannah since the launch of internet in the early 1990s. Social networking sites have changed the way people communicate with each other. The dynamicity in the Kenya’s ICT sector has seen the development of globally acclaimed applications such as M-Pesa.[John Walubengo, Bill Yet another Attempt to Censor Social Media, Daily Nation October 2 2019 at https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/walubengo/2274560-5295266-12t0o7f/index.html accessed 20 March 2020.]
Kenya is among the leading nations in access to internet in Africa. Data released by the Communications Authority of Kenya indicate that by December 2018, the total Internet subscription in Kenya stood at 45.7 million. Report also indicates that a majority of Kenyans can access the internet via mobile phones. This has led to a rapid development of social networking sites, resulting in a continued reconfiguration of ways in which individuals or groups access and use social media platforms.[Jaspher Otieno, (Supra n 1) p 14.] [Abigail Arunga, We refuse to add the government to our WhatsApp groups, Daily Nation September 26 2019 at https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/blogs/dot9/arunga/2274444-5288582-ufd9y9/index.html accessed 19 March 2020.]
The vast majority of them accessed the Internet via mobile phones. The proliferation of internet-enabled mobile devices has led to the. Nevertheless, little is known on how different social media platforms are relevant to diverse groups of people in Kenya based on demographics such as age, gender, education level, marital status, religion affiliation and geographical location. This report addresses this research gap.[Brian Moseti, Fears Emerge over Social Media Rules, Daily Nation July 6 2017 at https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Fears-emerge-over-social-media-rules-/1056-4003444-cbrlx0z/index.html accessed 18 March 2020.] [Jaspher Otieno, (Supra n 1) p 14.]