Silencing Dissent in Digital Kenya
State Strategies of Surveillance, Legal Harassment and the Illusion of Media Freedom
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21245802 |
|---|---|
| Authors | F H Kirigha (0000-0003-2899-3158, Falmouth University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-24 |
| Publication date | 2026-06-25 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | African Journalism Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2374-3670 • E-ISSN: 2374-3689 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/23743670.2026.2683682 |
| OpenAlex | W7165888897 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 24 |
Digital media is often framed as a democratising force across Africa, yet its expansion has coincided with the emergence of new forms of state control. Kenya exemplifies this paradox. Despite robust constitutional protections for freedom of expression under Articles 33–35, state actors increasingly deploy legal ambiguity, surveillance practices and economic coercion to discipline digital dissent. Drawing on a thematic analysis of 22 semi-structured interviews with journalists, bloggers, activists, policymakers and regulators, alongside a systematic review of statutory and policy documents, this study examines how digital authoritarianism is operationalised within a formally democratic framework. The findings demonstrate that repression in Kenya functions not primarily through overt shutdowns or blanket censorship, but through routinised regulatory indeterminacy, anticipatory surveillance and targeted financial vulnerability. By foregrounding the interaction between constitutional guarantees and institutional practice, the study refines debates on digital authoritarianism, illustrating how hybrid regimes institutionalise control without abandoning democratic form. The article concludes with policy recommendations to strengthen legal clarity, surveillance oversight and economic independence in the media sector, highlighting the broader implications for digital governance in hybrid political systems
Authoritarianism · Autonomy · Democracy · Digital media · Dissent · Mediation · Sedition · State (computer science) · Statutory law · Cybersecurity and Cyber Warfare Studies · Privacy, Security, and Data Protection · Social Media and Politics
Democracy’s Fourth Wave?
Digital Democracy, Analogue Politics
The Rise of Digital Repression
Discipline and Punish
The Subject and Power
Towards reimagining the ‘digital divide’
Using thematic analysis in psychology
Naturalistic inquiry
Participatory Journalism in Africa
Control the money, control the media
The rise of authoritarian informationalism
A Double-Edge Sword? Mass Media and Nonviolent Dissent in Autocracies
Digital Authoritarianism and the Future of Human Rights
How practices of digital authoritarianism harm democracy
Two Decades of Developments in Qualitative Inquiry
Many Clicks but Little Sticks
Theory Construction in Qualitative Research
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |