As social media usage and digital communication proliferate in developing countries including East Africa, so does voter manipulation in digital spaces. The gathering and distortion of data to target and manipulate the voter, the usage and publication of false Data or Data presented out of context or in a wrong context, false information,False digital identities, fake accounts, Fabricated content, Fake news and the like are tools and methods that have proven to have an immense impact on the election process.

In contrast to Western countries where electoral disinformation is predominantly consumed online, in Africa, it may unnecessarily involve Governments, Political elites or foreign influence, our Investigations indicate that electoral disinformation is disseminated through various channels, including person-to-person transmission facilitated by Bribes, Lack of media literacy, Tribalism, False promises, cultural factors, and a lack incuficient training to local leaders, Journalists and Media companies.

How does Electoral Disinformation Spread

Electoral disinformation is primarily spread person-to person transmission using Social medias as a major source, Electoral Disinformation today is primarily spread via Social Media which plays off a significant role in disseminating information, including Dis-misinformation, false narratives and misleading content which can be shared rapidly through platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others.

Bots and fake accounts may amplify the reach of such content, websites dedicated to spreading misinformation and fake news can be created or manipulated to appear legitimate. These sites often publish sensationalised or entirely false stories, which can then be shared on social media or other platforms, most websites contains clickbait.

Political Ads: Misleading political advertisements, either online or through traditional media, can contribute to the spread of disinformation. These ads may exploit emotional triggers or focus on divisive issues to sway public opinion

Search Engine Manipulation: Disinformation can be optimised for search engines, making it more likely to appear at the top of search results. This can lead people searching for information to encounter false or biased content.

Influencers and Opinion Leaders: Individuals with a large following, whether celebrities, influencers, or political figures, can unintentionally or intentionally spread disinformation. Their endorsement or sharing of false information can lend credibility to it.

Foreign Interference: State-sponsored actors or external entities may attempt to interfere in elections by spreading disinformation to influence public opinion. This can be done through social media campaigns, fake news websites, or hacking and leaking sensitive information.

Echo Chambers: People tend to consume information that aligns with their existing beliefs. Disinformation can thrive in online communities and echo chambers where individuals reinforce each other’s views, making it challenging to debunk false information.

These illustrations indicates how Electoral Disinformation is spread and Common streams that are used to spread electoral Disinformation in East Africa. Illustrations by Adolph Muhumuza

Why Electoral Disinformation is Spread

Electoral Disinformation has been spread since the begging of civilisation with new tac tics such Ai and cut edging technology, tactics are taking fresh shapes from Political actors, Some of the Major factors that has resluted into spread of Electoral Disinformation are

Political Instability: In many African countries including East African Regions still face a growing number of Political instability which has created significant environment to conducive disinformation campaigns, these Political actors use false information to manipulate public opinion, sow discord, or discredit their opponents at the highest bids.

Corrupt Systems: Some of the countries around East Africa such as Uganda and Rwanda have one of the longest serving leaders, This challenge doesn’t only contribute to stiff competition among political actors and triggers emotions among voters especially young people but also compromise many institutions from doing private service delivery such Media Houses, Electoral Commission, Judiciaries and Security Fraternities among others, Weak institutional frameworks can contribute to the spread of disinformation. Institutions that are unable to effectively regulate and monitor information flow are more susceptible to manipulation.

Ethnicity and Tribalism: In Most of East African Countries, Challenge of Ethinics have been at the forefront of democracy which has over the passed few decades witnessed a genocide in Rwanda that Left over one million people dead, Raging problem has been growing across East African region and additional tribal violence have been witnessed in Kenya 2007 Elections, South Sudan long standing power disputes and Uganda’s 38 years sidelining power, These problems are deep-seated ethnic and tribal divisions. Disinformation exploit these divisions to create tensions and manipulate voters along ethnic or tribal lines, affecting electoral outcomes.

Lack of Media Literacy: Individuals who are not well-versed in media literacy may struggle to differentiate between reliable and unreliable sources. This lack of critical thinking skills can contribute to the spread of disinformation.

Access to Technology: While Technology takes a fresh shape on the face of many developing countries including Africa, a wide range of individuals relie to internet for news updates without scepticism and fact-checking, this challenge has played a significant role in spreading false information across aspects, In some cases, limited regulations and controls over social media platforms and messaging apps can allow false narratives to proliferate rapidly.

Foreign Influence: Over the past few months, we have witnessed Russian influence in many African Countries, This influence has a long foundation of funded disinformation campaigns According Africa centre for strategic studies,

Russia has been the leading purveyor of disinformation campaigns in Africa with at least 16 known operations on the continent. Drawing on a legacy dating back to Joseph Stalin (who coined the term dezinformatsyia), the targeted tactics of disinformation in Africa are adapted from the Russian military strategy of “ambiguous warfare.” This strategy amplifies grievances and exploits divisions within a targeted society, fostering fragmentation and inaction—all while affording the perpetrators plausible deniability. The objective often is less to convince as to confuse citizens—thereby creating false equivalences between democratic and nondemocratic political actors, precipitating disillusion and apathy., External actors, including foreign governments or entities, may attempt to influence elections in African countries by spreading disinformation. This can be motivated by geopolitical interests, economic considerations, or other strategic goals.

Economic Factors: Socioeconomic challenges in some African nations may create an environment where individuals are more susceptible to misinformation. Economic grievances can be exploited to manipulate public opinion during elections.

Political Propaganda: Political campaigns may employ disinformation as a tool for propaganda to promote their agendas, tarnish the reputation of opponents, or create a false narrative about electoral processes.

Limited Fact-Checking Resources: In some cases, there may be a lack of resources dedicated to fact-checking and debunking false information. This can allow disinformation to spread unchecked, especially if there are no mechanisms in place to address it promptly.

Solution: An Active Counter-Strategy

Fact-checking should be treated as the first line of defense against disinformation and as the basis for efforts to more proactively shape the narrative around elections. One way to do this is through locally run counter-messaging strategies that use the lies that have permeated the electoral debate as a guide for spreading verified news (rather than simply reposting and disproving false content). 

Downlaod a pdf to read and learn more about Electoral Dins-information tactics in East Africa

By Adolph Muhumuza (Fact-Checker, Digital Researcher, Author and Journalist.)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f8zAG-2iEgeiukPJvROgPzwdMJ0qA9TZ/view?usp=sharing