The Role of Social Media in Facilitating Diplomatic Engagements in East Africa. A Comparative Study of Kenya and Rwanda.

Abstract

Digital diplomacy has been an emerging field having a huge impact on the discipline of International Relations. However not many previous studies have explored digital diplomacy targeting the public as content receivers. While most studies dwell on social media utilization in diplomatic circles on a wider global reach, very little has been written on the East African states' full utilization and harnessing of social media in diplomatic engagements. It is for this reason this study analyzes the role of social media in facilitating diplomatic engagements. The main objective of the study was to determine how social media acts as a tool in facilitating diplomatic engagements in East Africa's public diplomacy, especially during covid19 pandemic in Kenya and Rwanda. This study will help fill the gap, where the review indicates the lack of full involvement of the publics in diplomatic engagements. Having guided by the soft power and the actor-network theory, a descriptive survey design was employed in this study. The study targeted Presidency, officers at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Academicians, and journalists. Collection of data was done using a semi-structured questionnaire. The study findings indicate that social media is becoming an important tool for diplomats and publics engagement for political and economic developments especially during the covid19 pandemic without necessarily being physical, as it used to be in the past two decades of 21st C. Harnessing social media fully has undoubtedly enhanced effective communication and diplomatic interactions for the two countries. Able to exchange real-time information and virtual meetings on various issues of mutual interest without necessarily relying on the use of traditional diplomacy as it used to be. Although enhancing diplomatic interactions between countries, results shows that social media has its challenges, like fake news and cyber hacking that can cause diplomatic uneasiness between them. The study concludes, it is important to engage the public deeper to achieve ideas on promoting better economic growth for both countries. Despite the challenges, players need to be extremely cautious but continue to fully embrace and harness new technologies.