Populism and Conspiracy Theories: Exploring Political Effects in Kenya

Abstract

In the last few years, Kenyan political parlance has radically changed from conventional political messaging to largely populist politics combined with conspiratorial ideation. This study argues that despite the increasing attention to the alleged affinity between populism and conspiratorial ideation, much of this research comes from the global north, and we know very little about their combined effect on political attitudes and behaviours. Against this backdrop, an experiment using a Kenyan sample (N = 494) was conducted to provide insights into the effects of populist conspiratorial messaging on political engagement in Kenya. Analysis of the experimental data suggests that populist conspiracy theories do not have strong and/or large politically mobilising effects among the Kenyan public. Although exposure to populist conspiracies does not independently or directly mobilise the public, referring to the existence of a shadowy cabal of powerful figures hell-bent on distorting democracy can make populist communication more effective. However, this finding only holds when other factors such as individual demographics and political orientation are considered and/or controlled for.