Kenya emerged as the top country in the list of countries where residents spend the most time online. The Digital 2024 report found that Kenyans spend an average of 3 hours and 43 minutes on social media daily.
While social media is primarily used for entertainment, its usage has evolved over the years. Users now use it for activism and to exert pressure on the government, corporations, and other sectors.
The power of social media as a tool of activism was witnessed in Kenya in June 2024, when the youth rallied together on social media platforms and pushed the government to withdraw the 2024 Finance Bill.
But that was not it, as the youth went ahead and piled pressure on certain leaders to vacate office, a move that either prompted them to resign or get fired.
The 2024 incident was not the first. In this article, we outline instances where prominent persons either resigned or got fired in Kenya after social media pressure:
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President Ruto Dismisses Entire Cabinet
During the June 2024 anti-gov't protests, some of the main issues raised by the youth revolved around luxury, arrogance, and inefficiency in President William Ruto's government.
The President held an X (formerly Twitter) space with the youth, where several Cabinet Secretaries were put on the spot. The youth called for the dismissal of the entire cabinet and asked the President to form a new government with 'competent persons.'
Days after the X space, President Ruto addressed the Nation from State House, Nairobi, where he announced the decision to dismiss the entire cabinet, noting that an extensive appraisal of its performance informed it.
"Upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of my Cabinet and its achievements and challenges, I have, in line with the powers given to me by Article 152(1) and 152(5)(b) of the Constitution and Section 12 of the Office of the Attorney-General Act, decided to dismiss with immediate effect all the Cabinet Secretaries and the Attorney-General from the Cabinet of the Republic of Kenya except the Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs," Ruto said.
While some of those who had been dismissed such as Kithure Kindiki, Kipchumba Murkomen, Soipan Tuya, Aden Duale, Alice Wahome, Alfred Mutua, Eliud Owalo, and Moses Kuria and have since made their way back to the government, some such as Susan Nakhumicha, Aisha Jumwa, Florence Bore, Mithika Linturi, Ababu Namwamba, Ezekiel Machogu, Njuguna Ndung'u, Simon Chelugui and Zachary Njeru are yet to secure any appointments.
Japhet Koome
Koome resigned from his role as Inspector General of Police in July 2024 after criticism and consistent calls for his resignation from Kenyans, especially the youth, on social media.
For days, Koome topped trending topics on X, with most of the posts calling for his resignation due to the way the police handled the largely peaceful anti-government protesters.
During the protests, over 50 people lost their lives, while hundreds of others were injured. The youth and human rights agencies blamed the police for using excessive force and pushed for Koome's ouster.
A day after Ruto dismissed his entire Cabinet, the State House released a statement announcing that the Head of State accepted Koome's resignation and made changes to the National Police Service.
"His Excellency Hon. William Samoei Ruto, Ph.D, CGH, President and Commander in Chief of the Defence Forces, has on this 12th day of July 2024, accepted the resignation of Eng. Japheth N. Koome, MGH, as the Inspector General of the National Police Service," the statement read in part.
Ambassador Meg Whitman
Following Donald Trump's win, which made him the 47th president of the United States of America, the hashtag #ResignMegWhitman trended on X as Kenyans expressed their anticipation of Whitman's likely recall next year under the new Trump administration.
Notably, this reaction stems from recent criticism of Whitman for her alleged "meddling" in Kenya's affairs and her strong support of President Ruto.
Her close relationship with Ruto has led some to label the President as a U.S. puppet.
However, amidst the criticism and call for her recall, Whitman released a statement saying she serves under the request of the President, adding that she will continue to serve in the capacity ahead of Trump's inaugural in January 2025.
"Like all U.S. ambassadors, I serve at the request of the President. The American people have spoken, and a new President will be inaugurated in January. Meanwhile, my team and I continue to work on advancing our nations' shared goals of increased prosperity, security, and respect for democratic values," the statement read in part.
Kenyans on social media, however, continued piling pressure on the diplomat, with some even tagging President Trump on X.
On 13 November, Whitman released another statement announcing that she had tendered her resignation to outgoing President Joe Biden.
"Today, I announced to my team at the U.S. embassy that I submitted my resignation to President Biden. It has been an honor and privilege to serve the American people by strengthening our partnership with Kenya.
"I am proud of leading a people-centred agenda that saves lives, increases security, and creates economic opportunities for Kenyans and Americans. From delivering emergency funding to alleviate catastrophic flooding in 2023 to the ongoing fight against malaria, HIV, and MPOX, the U.S. government prioritizes the health and welfare of our friends in Kenya," read the statement in part.
Pauline Njoroge
In August 2020, former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala announced Pauline Njoroge's appointment as a member of the Tourism Regulatory Authority board.
However, Kenyans on social media criticized the appointment and shared previous social media posts by Pauline in which she disparaged the Nairobi National Park.
Social media pressure prompted Balala to revoke Njoroge's appointment. The former Tourism C.S. also thanked Kenyans for highlighting the issue.
"I am revoking Pauline Njoroge's appointment as a board member because we have just seen what she had tweeted in the past that Nairobi National Park was useless. We don't want to be associated with such people and such thinking...We regret we did not know what she had said in the past. We want to take this opportunity to thank Kenyans on social media for highlighting what we had missed during our background check on her," Balala's statement read in part.
