In today's hyper-connected world, the digital space has become Kenya's new public square.
Social media platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, and WhatsApp are now central to how we communicate, organise and engage in national discourse.
But amid the memes and trending hashtags lies a dangerous undercurrent - online hate speech. While hate speech in Kenya is not new, the speed and scale at which it now spreads online has amplified its threat to peace and social cohesion.
What used to be whispered in villages or plotted in backroom meetings is now broadcast instantly to thousands, sometimes millions, at the click of a button. The question is no longer whether online hate speech is dangerous, but how long we can afford to ignore its corrosive effects on our fragile nationhood.
