The last several two months have seen a rise in the usage of various social media platforms, a trend that has been attributed hugely to the Gen Z-led protests that have been going on across Kenya for the last two months or so.
This was confirmed by the various social media platforms and an official report by the Communication Authority (CA) reporting a sharp rise in the quarter. Facebook, which is the most used social media platform in Kenya, is now used by over 50% of the Kenyan population. This marks the first time that a social media site has passed the 50% mark in usage.
As reported by the CA, other platforms like X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and WhatsApp have also seen a huge spike in usage. This has been linked to the rising significance of these platforms as sources of information during and after the protests.
And with the protests reported to go on this week, one can expect that role to continue being as important for young Kenyans.
The data from CA shows that Facebook usage during Q2 2024 rose to 52% recording a 2.6% rise from 49.5% during Q1. WhatsApp, on the other hand, saw a 1.5% rise to 48.5% of the population aged 15 and above. X users across the country also increased by 2.1% to 12.8% of the population.
Video-sharing site TikTok saw the biggest spike during the same period, reflecting a 5% rise to 28.1% of the population from the previous quarter’s 23%.
However, not every platform was this lucky as some like Instagram, Telegram and LinkedIn saw a drop in usage during the same period. Each is currently used by at most 13% of the population.
The country’s young population has mostly been credited with this increased usage as internet coverage and accessibility continue to increase over time.
Smartphone penetration has been steadily surging and Q2 this year was no different, recording a 10% rise to 98.6% from 87.2% in the previous quarter.
