By Rodgers Omondi, Busia
Youth in Busia County have been urged to champion responsible information sharing and peaceful coexistence ahead of the upcoming elections, amid growing concerns over misinformation, disinformation, and hate speech.
Speaking during a sensitization forum that brought together 60 youths drawn from different sectors in Busia County, Agape Karashi from Court for Africa said misinformation and disinformation have become a growing concern, particularly during politically sensitive periods.
Karashi noted that social media platforms have become major channels for the spread of false information, often fueling confusion and tension among members of the public.
“As we are nearing the election period, we have seen a huge rise in cases of misinformation and disinformation through several platforms including social media. We have taken an initiative of reaching out to youths and educating them so that they can be ambassadors and advocates in the fight against misinformation and disinformation,” she said.
She emphasized that the spread of unverified information can have far-reaching consequences, including fueling conflicts, creating ethnic divisions, and undermining peaceful coexistence among communities.
“This creates conflicts, ethnic tension and hardlines among parties involved. We are calling on the youth not to be agents of hate speech and to ensure that we maintain discipline and respect in all platforms of engagement,” she added.
Karashi further urged members of the public to embrace fact-checking before sharing information, saying individual responsibility is critical in curbing the spread of fake news and misleading narratives.
Juliet Atella from Siasa Place said the sensitization program is also aimed at enhancing civic awareness among young people by helping them understand governance structures, leadership responsibilities, and available platforms for civic engagement.
According to Atella, many young people remain unaware of the avenues through which they can influence decision-making processes and advocate for issues affecting their communities. She said empowering youth with civic knowledge would encourage meaningful participation in governance and development matters.
“We are providing civic education to the youth so that they can understand the structure of leadership and the responsibilities of leaders. Together with this, we are helping them understand the platforms they can use for civic advocacy. We are also educating youth on supporting good leadership and discouraging them from being used as goons by politicians, which at times leads to loss of lives,” she said.
Atella stressed the importance of youth participation in public forums and decision-making processes, saying such engagements provide opportunities for young people to voice their concerns and contribute to development initiatives.
“Youth are supposed to be on the decision-making tables and that is why we are encouraging them to ensure they are part of public participation processes at every level. This gives them a chance to raise their concerns and hold leaders accountable. We also want institutions facilitating public participation to ensure proper communication channels are used so that everyone can access information,” she said.
Participants at the forum welcomed the initiative, describing it as timely and relevant given the increasing circulation of false information on digital platforms.
George Luhoma, one of the participants, said the training had enhanced his understanding of responsible information sharing and civic engagement.
“We have been given an opportunity to understand the kind of information we should share. We have also been informed about our space in leadership and advocacy platforms so that we can effectively hold our leaders accountable in their roles,” he said.
Luhoma added that the knowledge acquired during the training would enable young people to become responsible digital citizens and contribute positively to community development.
Bashir Were from the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) called on youth and residents across the country to embrace peace and unity, noting that safeguarding peace is a collective responsibility.
He urged members of the public to verify information before sharing it and avoid engaging in conversations that promote ethnic profiling, discrimination, or division.
“We are calling on our youth and people from Busia County and across the country to maintain peace. We should ensure that all information we share, whether online or on any other platform, has been verified. Let us also avoid engaging in ethnic profiling conversations because this will put the existence of our country at risk,” he said.
