Social Media and the Deconstruction of the Gender-Neutral Engagement in Political Activism of Generation Z Techizens in Kenya

Abstract

This paper explores how social media has provided a platform for tech savvy Generation Z (Gen Z) youths to engage in the competitive world of Kenya’s political activism. It draws from the recent push by Gen Z activists to push for anti-government protests geared towards a reformation of Kenya’s political and governance landscape. It draws primarily on the ungendered dimension of these activities via a robust reliance on social media platforms for political mobilisation, organisation, political messaging and gender barrier breaking among the youthful activists. It recognises that Gen Z activism cuts beyond gender barriers and this contributes to a deconstruction of the narrative that Kenyan political activism is male dominated. The paper argues that this has been possible via the faceless and genderless medium of social media platforms that many Gen Z techizens belong to. The paper is guided by the following objectives: to assess the extent to which social media has provided a genderless platform for political activism in Kenya; to analyse how social media has revolutionised the politics of protest in Kenya; and, to evaluate the deconstructive capacity of social media in the portrayal of the gender-neutral nature of political activism in Kenya. For its theoretical framework, the paper is guided by the Framing theory as propounded by Goffman and the Constructivist theory as propounded by Wendt. The paper argues that social media is providing a critical tool towards the deconstruction of existing social constructs in the political realm of explaining Kenyan politics particularly from its gendered connotation. Social media is presenting new avenues for political activism anchored on digital platforms. These platforms have aided in the framing of political narratives that challenge the status quo and resonate with the Gen Z populace in a way that they best understand each other. The paper finds that this will refine the reframing of political messaging towards political communication in a manner that exemplifies the inherent voices of protest of Gen Zs. This will be transformative as it will introduce a new construct as Kenya moves to the upcoming 2027 political contest. The paper recommends a robust rethinking of the socio-political construct emerging from the Gen Zs in terms of the evolutionary realities emerging and how these will shape political expression in this technologically driven space.