There has been unprecedented and near universal condemnation about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with strong public and institutional support for sanctions and containment. Kenya’s response has been more visible in the media and social media, especially after a speech by Martin Kimani, Kenya’s UN ambassador, caught the attention of many. In it, Kimani eloquently expressed Kenya’s opposition to Russia’s actions and to the idea of using force to change borders left behind by collapsing empires. Public response identified through social media monitoring has ranged from scepticism of the ‘western’ reports of attacks and damage, and culpability, to anger that other conflicts don’t receive the same level of attention from either the media or authorities, which include governments and technology companies. The racist treatment of African refugees escaping Ukraine has also been a key trigger point in most of the online conversations in Kenya.
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