From Cyber Café to Smartphone: Kenya’s Social Media Lens Zooms In on the Country and Out to the World

Abstract

This chapter investigates Global North paradigms of connectivity contrasted with those of Kenya. It examines the age of the cyber cafe and the transition into the mobile age that has defined Kenya’s ascent as a technology powerhouse—specifically, the ascent of mobile connectivity as a tool for Internet connectivity, and in particular, for social networking (and the factors of availability, affordability, and accessibility that have proved pivotal). The social networking service Twitter is the focus when it comes to social media. The microblogging network, in addition, is highlighted through initiatives, movements, and various hashtags inspired by online conversations and resulting in real-world outcomes. Before the adoption of localized trending topics, Kenyans on Twitter had their trends set on default to “Worldwide.” From 2010, when a fictional character in a Kenyan music video went viral, creating a global Internet sensation, the wheels were set in motion to see Kenyans discover their identity online and carve a niche as a globally respectable digital citizenry that was worthy of greater understanding and inspection.