Citizen journalism and conflict in Africa : the Ushahidi Platform in Kenya's 2008 post-election violence

Abstract

The fast-growing Internet platform in Africa has given opportunities to a new set of non-state actors to offer nonviolent intervention in addressing protracted conflicts with the use of new media technology/new media. As a departure from a state-centric approach to addressing conflict in Africa, this interdisciplinary study explores the contribution of the public in responding to armed conflicts through citizen journalism. To unearth some of the youth-led nonviolent digital innovations, this research explores the new media technology platform, Ushahidi, which was developed as a response to Kenya’s 2008 post-election violence, as a case study. Using qualitative methods, data was gathered through unstructured in-depth interviews of the Ushahidi’s founders, Kenyan bloggers and partner organisations as well as intermediary groups consisting of professional journalists, writers and civil society activists. The data was analysed using thematic analysis techniques, and revealed how new media technologies are a ‘double-edged sword’, offering opportunities for netizens to both contribute to the instigation of conflict and conflict transformation. The data showed the transformative role the Ushahidi platform played during Kenya’s electoral violence through crisis mapping, the early warning multi-agent consortium, a constitutional referendum and election monitoring. Evidence also emerged regarding the pioneer work of Ushahidi in other nonviolent technological involvements in addressing crisis in Kenya. The evidence allowed for comprehensive understanding of the emergence of new actors in conflict transformation with the use of the new media technology and what Ushahidi offers in terms of people-centred approach to peace processes in Kenya.