‘Hashtags for hire’: How paid digital mercenaries meddled in Kenyan and Nigerian polls

Influential bloggers in Kenya and Nigeria said political players regularly hired their services to operate fake accounts, sway public opinion and fan tensions during elections.

The continent’s overwhelmingly young populations have helped spawn a new industry - packed with online personalities who parrot politicians’ views, create false narratives, deflect criticism and promote viral conspiracies.

Kenyan influencers are tapping into the money-spinning disinformation market.

Blogger Bazenge said his monthly earnings ranged from $1,000 to $2,000 when he worked for the presidential campaign of William Ruto who won the 2022 ballot.

Cambridge Analytica used personal data of millions of Facebook users to target political ads.

Fake accounts and fan pages of individual candidates also mushroomed in the lead-up to the Nigerian election.

Analysts warn that political disinformation, coupled with voter apathy and low turnout at polling stations, poses a threat to Africa ’s democracy.

As Kenya and Nigeria already gear up for elections in 2027 and 2028 respectively, the mercenaries told AFP Fact Check they were hoping to profit again from politics.