Populist Tendencies in Kenya’s Political Representation Practice: Digital and Discursive Dimensions

Abstract

This study investigates how populism is enacted in the practice of online political representation in Kenya, with a focus on the role of social media as a site of political engagement and discourse. Two guiding questions frame the inquiry: How do Kenyan politicians construct and express populist tendencies on social media platforms? How do social media discourses shape the people–elite relationship in Kenyan politics? The study leverages social media data, comprising 58 tweets and posts, retrieved from the Facebook and Twitter (X) pages of 20 women politicians through web-scraping. This data is complemented with semi-structured one-on-one interviews with 12 citizens, as well as three Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) involving 25 citizens from distinct locales: an urban setting, a peri-urban area, and a rural setting. This multi-method design enables a nuanced examination of both elite political performances and popular receptions of populist discourse. To analyse the data, the study employs a combination of discourse analysis and thematic analysis. Discourse analysis is used to examine social media texts, uncovering underlying meanings and identifying populist sentiments. Thematic analysis is applied to explore patterns and overarching themes that emerge from the interviews and FGDs. Findings reveal that nearly half of the Facebook posts and tweets analysed contained manifestations of populist tendencies. Women politicians positioned themselves as advocates for ordinary citizens by challenging political norms, denouncing elite-driven marginalisation, and employing socio-cultural performances such as code-switching and identity-based rhetoric. Additional tendencies included the use of emotionalism, sensationalism, and strategic manoeuvring for political relevance.