Why Kenya plans to spend $775K on 30 influencers ahead of 2027 polls

Kenya’s information ministry plans to spend KES 100 million ($775,193) annually on content creators and influencers to amplify government talking points across social media platforms, including X, Facebook, and Instagram, as it moves to repair its bruised public image ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The strategy targets 10 macro-influencers and 20 micro-influencers, who would be paid quarterly retainers of KES 100,000 ($775) and KES 50,000 ($387.6), respectively, to support the campaign. Macro-influencers typically command audiences of over 100,000 followers, some reaching into the millions, while micro-influencers have followings of between 10,000 and 100,000.

“The strategy is designed to enhance synergy and coherence across all communication efforts while fostering a citizen-centric culture in public discourse, as well as strengthening the government’s brand image,” the ministry said in its Draft Government Communication Strategy (2024/25-2026/27).

The ministry’s plan comes as the government struggles with growing public anger over the high cost of living, unemployment, corruption, and allegations of police brutality. It follows nationwide anti-government protests in June 2024 and June 2025, which, according to rights groups, resulted in over 100 deaths.

The ministry acknowledged in the proposal that Kenyans are becoming more politically alert and harder to persuade through traditional state messaging. It argued that this has made public opinion volatile and more consequential for the government’s legitimacy.

“The level of public acuity and awareness with reference to information, constitutional, legal and political developments is increasing by the day. This in turn influences how the citizens perceive various actions by the Government,” the ministry said. 

According to the plan, part of the budget will go towards paying influencers’ stipends, while the rest will fund tools to help them counter “misinformation” on social media and take part in government forums.

The 2024 and 2025 protests were largely mobilised over months on social media—especially X and TikTok—indicating the platforms’ growing political power. The 2024 demonstrations were triggered by anger over corruption and the passage of a finance bill that raised taxes on everyday essentials such as mobile money transactions. Even then, the government turned to paid influencers to try to drown out online criticism, but they were outnumbered. Under the new plan, influencers will be required to “create hashtags and promote them on social media” as part of their duties.