The media and electoral violence in Kenya and Nigeria

Abstract

Kenya and Nigeria have arguably Africa’s most boisterous media landscapes. Both countries also have similar sociocultural and sociopolitical milieus. Thus, in both countries the media’s effect on society, especially during the electoral process, is often identical. However, elections in Kenya and Nigeria, and indeed in most countries in Africa, are often based on ethnoreligious considerations rather than on sound political ideologies. Consequently, more often than not, elections have the propensity to disintegrate into violence. During the past two decades polls in Kenya and Nigeria have shown that the media plays a significant role in elections’ violent or non-violent turnout. This chapter examines the media’s role in electoral violence in Nigeria and Kenya. The focus is on the 2013 and 2018 general elections in Kenya and the 2011 and 2015 elections in Nigeria. Theoretically premised on the peace journalism model proposed by Jake Lynch and Annabel McGoldrick, the study provides practical insights into a journalism model that promotes peaceful elections and catalyses the transitional justice process.