ABSTRACT
Kenya has, over the years, made significant strides in the ICT sector and its name has become synonymous with ICT innovations. The internet has contributed significantly to the social, political, and economic well-being of its citizens. The use of social media platforms in agitating for socio-political change (activism) is an example of how important internet technologies have become in Kenya. Using social media for activism involves cultural production of various forms of media (textual, video, images) content in discussions and arguments. A critical look at this content reveals various class constructs, social stratifications, and identities. This chapter will, therefore, aim at interrogating how content produced on social media during activism contributes to constructing these social, economic, political, and geographical constructs, which in turn shapes participation in social activism. There is a thin literature on the contribution of social media in interrogating class constructs in activism; this chapter aims at filling this gap. Data are generated from interviews and social media content from three activisms (#OccupyPlayground, #OccupyParliament, and #IEBCMustGo), which happened in Kenya’s recent past.
