Examining the Use of Social Media in Governance in Kakamega County Government

Abstract

Continuous communication to citizens is significant in any government. Therefore, employing social media as a communication tool in accessing public opinion is imperative. The two tiers of government in Kenya- central and County are progressively incorporating social media. To determine the efficacy and use of social media use, it is necessary to examine how it is used at the grassroots. This study looked at how the County Government of Kakamega is using social media to enhance governance. The objectives of this study were: To examine factors informing appropriation of social media in governance in Kakamega County, determine modalities of use of social media in governance in Kakamega County, and assess the effectiveness of social media use in governance in Kakamega County government. The study utilized the media dependency theory, which argues that the more the media fulfils an individual‘s needs, the more the individual depends on the media. The study also employed diffusion of innovation theory that defines how an innovation, behaviour, or new idea is spread to a population in a given period via particular communication techniques. The study employed a mixed-methods approach to achieve its objectives, using the convergent parallel mixed-method research design where an interview guide and the questionnaire will be the main data collection instruments. The target population was 34 participants, given they are in charge of the communication units at the County. Data was generated from all the participants who were purposively selected for the study. The study concluded that Facebook was the overriding social media platform for enhancing governance and that social media use in governance is ineffective in the Kakamega county government. The study recommends that the county government trains more personnel on social media and digital marketing tools to enhance social media usage to disseminate information to the residents. It is hoped that the findings of this research will benefit scholarship; social media is still a new sensation, especially at the grassroots, and there is a significant gap on what it can and cannot do concerning governance.