Media, Ethnicity, and Electoral Conflicts in Kenya

Jacinta Mwende Maweu is senior lecturer in philosophy and media studies at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.

• IntroductionChapter One: Media and ElectionsChapter Two: The Political Economy of the Media and Elections in KenyaChapter Three: A Historical Analysis of Electoral Conflicts in KenyaChapter Four: Ethnicity and Electoral Conflicts in KenyaChapter Five: The Media, Ethnicity, and Politics in KenyaChapter Six: Social Media as Amplifiers of Electoral Conflicts in KenyaChapter Seven: Which Way Forward? Building Bridges through the Media to Promote Dialogue, Healing, and ReconciliationConclusion

With its debut, Media, Ethnicity, and Electoral Conflicts in Kenya is a timely, significant, and impressive piece of scholarship. Jacinta Maweu has integrated the media system in Kenya within the context of ethnic conflict that has bedeviled the country for many decades. With the breadth and depth of the media's role in electoral conflicts in Kenya, she unveils the media as a key actor in the reproduction of conflict through framing of divisive narratives, co-option by the ruling elite, and media ownership structures that promote ethnic supremacy. At the same time, journalists and civil society groups in Kenya have taken steps to promote healing and reconciliation. This book calls for productive debates among scholars and practitioners as Kenya heads to another election next year: 2022.