Pan-African Digital Peacebuilding : The Maskani Homeplatform and Ethno-political Polarization in Kenya

This book examines how Pan-African digital peacebuilding methodologies, exemplified through the innovative Maskani home platform, address ethno-political polarization in Kenya's electoral landscape while demonstrating the critical role of social media in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding across Africa.

This book examines how Pan-African digital peacebuilding methodologies, exemplified through the innovative Maskani home platform, address ethno-political polarization in Kenya's electoral landscape while demonstrating the critical role of social media in conflict mitigation and peacebuilding across Africa. Rather than merely exploring conceptual approaches, this work presents a rare case study of practical digital peacebuilding implementation strategies grounded in Pan-African philosophical approaches to knowledge complexities in the digital age (digital ubuntu), filling a gap in the existing literature on technology and peace in African contexts. Through its exploration of Maskani, the book reveals how youth micro-influencers employ both online strategies and offline cultural approaches to counter polarization. The work is uniquely grounded in Pan-African digital peacebuilding epistemic approaches rather than conventional Global North frameworks, examining how technology is innovated and adapted to local contexts despite digital divides and data poverty challenges. By documenting how Maskani functions as a local infrastructure for digital peacebuilding, the book provides transferable insights for addressing similar challenges in diverse cultural settings. This book will appeal to scholars and practitioners in security studies, peace and conflict studies, international relations and diplomacy, media studies, political science, digital humanities, philosophy and sociology of technology, technology studies and African studies, as well as policymakers, industry players, civil society organizations, and technology professionals engaged in peacebuilding initiatives.