Twitter Republic

Kevin Oguko and Mkala Mwangesha

If you are yet to come across social media terms like ‘Flickr’, ‘Orkut’, and ‘Unfriend’ or ‘Like’, then you are yet to go 140-generic.

Now, forget wallet biopsies and Obamacare because that will make you sound so last century. Facebook and fast-forward to Twitter...now, let’s join the revolution.

More than books and homework, nowadays, Pulsers as well as celebrities and politicians have found a common platform from which they can command the world to rotate with a click — Twitter.

Besides the unmatched fast flow of information to masses, Kenyans on Twitter (KoT) have become a major component in determining social issues and shaping up the entertainment industry all together.

Kenya, which is the second highest social media consumer in Africa — after Nigeria — has its young people consumed in the new trend thanks to new technology phenomenon. With a set of phones, they can access what 50 Cent or their idols like Justin Bieber has whispered about their new video.

Locally, the new culture is proving lucrative to a bunch of individuals refereed to as bigwigs, who are now making a kill out of what would pass for a leisure time activity.

In fact, political organisations, entertainment spots, giant enterprises as well as media houses are hunting for Twitter bigwigs — whom they can use to spread a given information on their services and target clients as fast as possible.

“I have had a couple of local celebrities ask me to post the link of their videos on my timeline for people to access them. I cannot say which company exactly but, yes, I was approached months back to tweet for a certain company for a good fee,” says Rama, a popular Twitter fanatic.

Twitter bigwigs have nothing to do with the demographic popularity of a given celebrity or their songs.

Though we have mainstream celebrities like Juliani who have over 30,000 followers on Twitter, they are not considered Twitter bigwigs.

The bigwigs
Local Twitter big names spin the world with every little tweet they post.

Some months ago, Roomthinker tweeted: “Nowadays I’m afraid of YouTube links...It could be a Jimmy Gait video.”

The tweet caused a major stir in the showbiz industry as the whole world joined to debate what it all implied. 

Basically, a bigwig is a tweep (twitter user) who has significantly way more followers than he or she follows.

Often, he or she has a lot of influence and followers running to thousands.

Currently, some of Kenyan bigwigs include Rama who has more than 100 thousand tweets and over 80,000 followers and Joe Muchiri with 6,300 followers and over 150 thousand tweets. Others include Roomthinker, Sickolia, Soko Analyst and Crazy Nairobian. Female bigwigs include DopestChiqa and Caroline Spencer.

Originally, Pulsers used Twitter to discuss basic social and political issues until the Makmende trend went viral changing the whole idea on how Kenyans viewed Twitter as it all went comic.

Locally, generated topics such as #FolderNamesToHidePornOnPC and #NyeriTvshows trended worldwide and got the attention of international movie and music stars.

Trending Topics (TTS)
You won’t be shocked to learn that many of the most trending topics, worldwide, on rib cracking humour, have been started by Kenyans.

“I started to tweet on Makmende having no idea it was a song by the Just a Band. I just assumed it was the super hero character we had when we were kids. It was then that I got to know of other Kenyans who were on Twitter and had the same mind set of just having fun in a social site.” Rama says.

Last year after Arsenal’s 8:2 defeat to Manchester United, followed by the 4:3 loss to Blackburn, Lemonpillow tweeted: “Poor Arsenal, they have endured the 8:2 joke 4:3 weeks now.” It became a worldwide top tweet.

Top Kenyan topics
Recently, another Kenya bigwig, Dee_Spicable, carried the day with his tweet: “It’s not what it looks like”. It was ranked as a top tweet along with comedian Katt Williams whose tweet was “Justin Bieber or Rebecca Black. Nobody wants to look at that.”             

Twitter for beef is one of many acronyms Kenyans pushed to Twitter.

“There’s a difference between beef and roost,” says Vanderwangwe, on the need for people to take ‘fat’ jokes less seriously while on the site.

DopestChiqa, who is one of the few vocal female ladies famous through Twitter, says:

“At first I was shocked that people questioned my sexuality. But with time, I started liking the mystery that is my name. In short I’m very much female.” DopestChiqa’s real name is Cecille Lerato — a Kenyan student at University of Pretoria.

Positive Returns
CNN was forced to apologise after an erroneous graphic headline titled Kenya Violence, on the Machakos Country Bus station explosions.

The giant media house apologised after a flurry of angry tweets under the hash tag #SomeoneTellCNN that trended worldwide.
Another journalist who found himself on the foul side of the #TeamKenya was BBC’s Phil Jones, after a video of him failing to acknowledge Kenya’s national anthem went on YouTube.

It was during David Rudisha’s medal presentation after a world-record victory, but the journalist was busy trying to extort an interview from the Jamaican team.

Usain Bolt ignored him and stood at attention while he pestered Weir and Blake — the three had just made a clean Jamaican medal sweep of the 200m sprint.

The uproar that followed forced the reporter to Tweet;

“Rather not have spoken during Kenyan national anthem..

It was interview then or not at all. Rudisha is a legend too.”

Another gaffe came weeks after Kenyans on Twitter forced Korean Air to apologise and remove an advert on their website, which labelled Kenyans as “indigenous people full of primitive energy.”

Popular Shows
Radio stations have changed with the times when it comes to social media. The Cypher, a hip-hop show on Capital FM is a step ahead when it comes to this.

The host, Joe Muchiri, who is also a bigwig, says they averagely receive 1140 tweets on the Saturday show alone.
“Kenyans on Twitter are the most unforgiving, and they will rip you apart without care if you try to mess them up,” says DJ Crème.

Unwritten Rules
Last week, the timeline was filled with Kenyans coming up with lists of who is who. In this regard, Pulse has come up with its own list of rules if you want to keep your tweeting hobby above board.

#1. It won’t kill for it
The tweet field is composed of some of the smartest young minds in Kenya. Though they look at this less seriously, they won’t excuse you for your ignorance. #2. Thou shall not be cliché
Just like using hash tags in Facebook is considered pointless, so is common on Twitter.

#3. It’s not a dating site
Yes, Twitter is a social site but unlike many social sites, dating and romantic issues are usually seen as cheap on Twitter.

#4. It’s never that serious
When you make a mistake, the worst thing you can do is lash out at everyone as a hater. Leave that to the rappers. Accept your mistake and move on.
“One of the worst things someone can do on Twitter is taking everything so serious,” says DopestChiqa.

Oh yeah, remember to follow us @PULSEKenya