Community leaders in Mombasa have joined hands to fight the misuse of social media ahead of the 2022 General Elections.
The group said social media is a dangerous tool if misused and the youth are the biggest and most vulnerable group that can easily be manipulated to cause havoc by self-centred politicians.
The group is made up of youth leaders, ward administrators, bloggers, journalists and supporters of different political figures in Mombasa.
Studies show that 70 per cent of youth use social media to vent their anger towards others.
Ali Bafundi, the Shanzu ward administrator, said if not nipped in the bud, the misuse of social media may lead to violence during the electioneering period.
“We want to bring youth who are social media users together so that we can talk them out of hatred and rivalry that their use of social media may bring,” Bafundi said on Friday.
He said it is okay to differ politically or in ideologies but with respect to each other.
Bafundi, a former Bondeni councillor, said most of those who attack each other on social media are usually people who know each other well but differ politically because they support opposing camps.
This was evident at a meeting at Bustani restaurant on Friday where two supporters of different political figures in Mombasa shared a cup of tea.
The two laughed off their attacks, revealing a sense of camaraderie that is impossible to identify in their Facebook postings.
Bafundi said social media platforms have many followers most of whom take postings seriously without critically analysing them to decipher facts and falsehoods.
“There are people who when they see a post on social media, they take it as the gospel truth. They will hang on to that word and probably hate someone else because of that post. That is what we want to root out,” Bafundi said.
Hassan Hirsi, a youth leader, said hatred on social media has led to physical gang fights in some parts of Mombasa.
This has happened in Kisauni, Likoni, Majengo and Old Town areas, where supporters of different political figures have clashed when meeting physically.
“I have had to be called to address such fights in the past. That is why we came up with this idea of coming together so we can counsel our fellow youth to not be so engrossed in politics,” said Hirsi.
Bafundi said, “You can use social media to differ but you must agree to differ with respect and discipline. Guard against injuring other people’s feelings.”
The former councillor said many Kenyan youth wrongly believe the social media is a free world.
He said it is only that authorities have not placed much emphasis on social media usage but they have all the tools and the regulations to provide checks and balances.
“They can follow up a person who may have used the social media inappropriately and arrest them where they are. This has happened before. Remember the youth who talked ill of Interior CS Fred Matiang’i?” posed Bafundi.
Hakim Ahmed Mohammed, a former Tudor councillor and the current Mjambere ward administrator, said discipline in politics should be instilled.
“There are no permanent friends of permanent enemies in politics. Only permanent interests. So no matter how much we differ politically, let us remember that eventually the people we support will kiss and make up,” said Mohammed.
He said politics come and go, but the friendship one builds in life will help them in future.
He said youth are the future of the country and they are the ones who will determine the direction the country will take.
Ahmed ‘Papaa’ Al-Amin, the Magogoni ward administrator, said in most cases, users of social media diverge from the topic discussed into other issues.
“This is what brings about hatred in most cases – people going out of the topic of discussion,” Papaa said.
He noted clashing in most cases come about because people want their own interests taken care of first.
Papaa said respect among politicians’ followers is key to peace and stability during electioneering periods.
Yunus Hemed Mohammed alias Baba Yu Joho said they will be having regular meetings with social media leaders, who they have already identified, with a view to ensuring they use their influence responsibly.
He said those who oppose each other are people of the same area, families or social standing.
“Whenever there are funerals, weddings or any important gatherings, it is the same faces that will usually show up. This means these people are capable of differing responsibly and peacefully,” Hemed said.
He said most social media users who attack others online use pseudo-names because they cannot face the people they attack.
“This is because they actually know and in most cases are friends with the people they attack online,” Hemed said.
“Such things hold us back. Let us not take politics as a matter of life and death. Let us be like our Tanzanian brothers who only politic during electioneering period. Kenyans politics 24/7, 365.”
