The Challenge of Attaining Good Governance in Africa: the Use of Social Media in Kenya and Mauritius.

Abstract

Conscious to the prevailing challenge of poor governance in Africa and the opportunities presented by technology through social media, this study seeks to critically analyze the challenge of attaining good governance in Africa and what role technology specifically social media can play to address this challenge in Kenya and Mauritius. This project was guided by three objectives: to critically analyze the challenge of attaining good governance in Africa, to assess and analyze the key factors hindering the attainment of good governance in Kenya and Mauritius and to critically examine the impact of social media in addressing the challenge of attaining good governance in Kenya and Mauritius. Conversation and debate on good governance remains one of the oldest debates that African states continue to struggle with to date. It is clear that the much hyped transition to liberal democracy in Africa in the 1990s did not translate into ensuring good governance in the econtinent and a happy life for Africans. As the study has revealed, despite significant gains made, some of the old challenges such as bad leadership, weak institutions, corruption, electoral fraud, lack of constitutionalism, suppression of individual rights and freedoms still continue to persist. At the same time, introduction of competitive elections has manifested the challenge of negative ethnicity in many countries making some of these countries to slide into civil conflicts. As a result of the challenge of attaining good governance, some countries like Bukina Faso are contemplating returning to authoritarianism. While acknowledging the gains made in Africa, the study argues that transition to liberal democracy in Africa might have been necessary, but it has not translated into good governance and as a result there is need for African scholars to engage in a program of rethinking the application and practice of liberal democracy in Africa and how good governance can be operationalized in the continent. This research has also been able to test how good governance infrastructure in Kenya and Mauritius are; and noted that in an effort to attain good governance, states should not be preoccupied by the quantity or ideology of regimes but rather by the quality, efficiency, effectiveness and intelligence of beauracracies that can deliver on policy objectives. The project recommends that policy makers moreso the public officials to focus on the process of implementation of the already existing legal and policy frameworks to further operationalize good governance in Kenya, Mauritius and Africa at large. At the same time, the wave of globalization and advancement in technology has also presented Africa with an excellent opportunity by empowering many citizens to be able to participate and have their voices heard on various issues that affect Africa’s governance infrastructure. This opportunity has been presented in form of internet based applications normaly referred to as social media. Social media has become a very powerful tool in advancing good governance in the world over, and very instrumental in some African countries like Kenya. To this end, the study has been keen on bringing out the role that social media can play and the impact it can have on attaining good governance specifically in Kenya and Mauritius. In retrospect, the study argues that social media has played a key role in addressing the challenge of poor governance across the globe and if used well and responsibly, it can have a positive impact in advancing good governance in the two countries. However, it is important to note that social media is a double edged sword that can cut either way if not used responsibly. It can polarize societies, bring instabilities and make societies ungovernable. It is imperative that communications authority come up with policies that will ensure that social media platforms are not used to spread hate and divide the society.