The mostly Gen Z and millennial protesters, who are now pushing for the president’s resignation, began organizing against the Finance Bill on TikTok and X before taking to the streets. They continue to use the social media apps’ features, including spaces and live-streams, to coordinate protests and mobilize.
The protesters have also used these platforms to crowdfund medical bill payments and funeral costs for injured and killed protesters. At least 39 people have been killed in the protests since mid-June, according to a government-funded human rights organization. An online fundraiser managed by activist and journalist Hanifa Farsafi, one of the protest’s key figures, had raised 29.8 million Kenyan shillings ($231,906) from over 34,000 people as of Wednesday evening.
Lesser-known apps have also seen increased usage in Kenya, such as Zello which protesters have been using to turn their phones into walkie talkies. It helps them quickly share information including police movements during demonstrations.
And with Kenya being home to 43 different ethnic communities, all with their own languages in addition to the official languages of English and Kiswahili, protesters also crowdsourced TikTok videos translating and breaking down the bill’s proposals into different local languages, helping reach more people especially in rural areas. Sign language interpreters also contributed. The videos were also widely shared on Whatsapp among other platforms.
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