The climax of one of the milestones in Dr. John Ndavula’s scholarly works was realized during a colorful launch of the book “Social Media and Political Campaigns in Kenya” on Tuesday 17th July, 2018. The colorful event dubbed “Feast of Words” was graced by St. Paul’s University’s top management among them the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, the Chancellor and Prof. Joseph Galgalo, the Vice Chancellor; and eminent scholars among them Prof. Jesse Mugambi, a professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the University of Nairobi, Dr. Lydia Mwaniki, a renowned author on gender issues, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph Wandera, the Bishop ACK Diocese of Mumias and Dr. Robert S. Wafula of the Borderless Press.
Dr. John Ndavula, the Head of the Department of Communication Studies and editor at the Borderless Press, attributes his success to the support accorded to him by his family, friends and fellow scholars.
The book gives an insight into the relationship between Digital Networking Technologies and contemporary Kenyan Politics: a relatively new concept in the Kenyan Political landscape compared to the Western Democracies. As a matter of fact, it is the first comprehensive study of impact of social media on politics in East Africa. The author seeks to shed light on the extent Social Media usage affects Kenyan Political Campaign, the underpinnings of social media adoption for the political campaign, the implications of Social Media use for Democracy. A comparison of campaigns in the 90's and emerging trends in today's setting wouldn’t go unmentioned.
In his conclusion, the author empathizes that social media plays a transformative role in political campaigns in Kenya, and leveraging on its potential and ubiquity might help Kenyans to build more stable democratic structures.