Hate Speech in Social Media Targeted by Kenya Before August Vote

NAIROBI (Capital Markets in Africa) – Kenya’s communication authority said it increased monitoring of social media in a bid to combat hate speech before the East African nation holds presidential elections in August.

Authorities have spent 1.1 billion shillings ($10.6 million) since 2015 to monitor broadcasters and last year paid an additional 1 billion to examine social-media output, Chairman Ngene Gituku told reporters Thursday in the capital, Nairobi.

“We are working with other government agencies and the social-media players such as Facebook and Twitter to locate and pull down posts and thus curb hate speech and ethnic division,” he said.

Kenya is scheduled to hold elections on Aug. 8, with President Uhuru Kenyattarunning for a second term. The country remains haunted by sectarian violence that erupted after polls in 2007 and claimed at least 1,100 lives.