Memes as Digital Activism Tools For Political Accountability in Kenya: A Study of Tiktok and X (Formerly Twitter) During the 2024 Finance Bill Protests

Abstract

This study examines the role of internet memes in digital activism for political accountability in Kenya, focusing on the #RejectFinanceBill2024 and #OccupyParliament campaigns. Using a qualitative research design, the study analyzed 500 political memes from TikTok and X (formerly Twitter) alongside semi-structured interviews with 182 participants including digital activists, meme creators, policymakers, and political analysts. Grounded in Networked Publics Theory and Framing Theory, the research investigated how memes simplify complex policy issues, shape political discourse, mobilize citizens, and interact with platform dynamics. Findings reveal that satirical images and video memes (62% of content) effectively framed political leaders as accountable for governance failures, while viral political jokes (24%) and remix culture (14%) enhanced engagement through cultural resonance. The study demonstrates that memes function as powerful instruments of digital resistance, generating public pressure (74% of cases) and government responsiveness (58%), though their impact on sustained policy reform remains limited. Platform algorithms significantly influenced visibility, with TikTok's For You Page amplifying protest content to wider audiences compared to X's reported content suppression. The research concludes that while memes successfully mobilize episodic activism and shape public opinion, translating online momentum into structural accountability requires complementary offline advocacy strategies and transparent platform governance frameworks.