“Misclick” on Democracy: New Media Use by Key Political Parties in Kenya’s Disputed December 2007 Presidential Election

While the use of “new” media by key political parties and presidential candidates has intensified in recent Kenyan presidential elections, the controversial December 2007 poll laid bare the limits of technology’s role in democracy. We argue that while new media may have some potential to help monitor and mobilize political activity, and possibly encourage political engagement, they can also reinforce the positions of those in power not only due to their limitations but also by their manipulability by scheming human agents