Contributions of Various Kenyan Personalities in Communicating Change For Transformative Community (Published)
In spite of relatively stable governance and a hard working population, Kenya is rated among the countries with wide income disparities. Extreme and chronic poverty has not been eliminated even after fifty years of development efforts, that is, since the country gained its independence in 1963. In mitigating the adverse effects of these inequalities, communication is considered an essential tool for transformation through which essential thoughts in the minds of the people aimed at transformation are nurtured and shared. The purpose of this study was to identify the contributions made by various Kenyan personalities whose life experiences are shared in this paper, in communication change for a transformative society. The study displays how the select Kenyans engaged with the people and got them involved in transforming their community. A qualitative research design was adopted to select ten Kenyans to share their life experiences through in-depth interviews that were used by the author to gather data. Data analysis focused on the participants’ narratives on the aspect of their personal contributions and how they got the community working towards sustainable change. The study also recommends development of an African Communication Theory on what motivates communicative acts that lead to societal transformation.
Keywords: Change, Community, Contributions, Kenya, Transformation, communication
Critical Analysis Of Change Is Not Easy As Political Communication In Nigeria (Published)
Words are used in various forms and styles as political language for the achievement of a specific objective in political communication. The President Jonathan’s Great Leaders Election Campaign Advertisement, known as Change is not easy, is the political television commercial analysed, to understand how “change” in other countries in the world is associated with “transformation” in Nigeria, for the generation of voter support. The critical dialectical method used, found that the commercial is an exercise in glittering generalities, as propaganda in political communication. The proposition of “change” as “transformation” was a straw man’s logical fallacy and that the imported comparison of political performance by notable icons globally, has no direct correlation with transformation promised Nigerians, as bait for voter support and endorsement. It means that selected artistic elements in political advertisements must be relevant, through used political language, in the realisation of set objective. It shows that message acceptance and believability are essential in political communication.
Keywords: Change, Political Communication, Television Commercial, Transformation