A US based political media company generated online propaganda against NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga during the run-up to August 8 polls.
In a report released recently by London-based Privacy International, Harris Media is reportedly said to have targeted Raila in spreading propaganda while it publicized achievements of his nemesis President Uhuru Kenyatta, reports Daily Nation.
According to Privacy International, the Texas-based media company ran two anonymous sites; The Real Raila and Uhuru for Us.
Hitherto, Harris Media has not publicly acknowledged its work in Kenya. The media firm has also not responded to Privacy International and other news organizations on questions of its alleged role in the contest between Uhuru and Raila.
The report quotes in part that Jubilee Party Secretary-General Raphael Tuju has denied any knowledge of “The Real Raila” site.
However, further states the report, “The digital trail from both of the Kenyan digital campaigns leads firmly back to the Austin, Texas outfit.”
“The Real Raila and another site which links back to Uhuru for Us, ‘Candidates for Kenya,’ share an IP address with Harris Media’s own website and over 30 conservative campaigns.”
A twitter account, Uhuru For Us, says the report, traces back to an email belonging to Harris Media.
Josh Canter, Harris Media’s vice president for content production, worked on the “The Real Raila”.
The report asserts that the anti-raila site, “lightly-sourced characterisations of Odinga as a dangerous, racist xenophobe, with promoting his tribe and family as his primary political aim.”
Harris Media worked in US President Donald Trump campaign.
It has also worked in other countries spread across Europe. It runs its campaigns based on how individuals in a particular country use their social media account.
“Harris Media’s The Real Raila and Uhuru for Us campaigns relied on ad words in Google search and apparently targeted advertising on a range of social media platforms,” Privacy International further explained.
This flooded the The Real Raila and Uhuru for Us ads on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube. But it was believed that Cambridge Analytica, a British data mining firm hired by Uhuru was behind it, asserts the report.
An official from the British firm said they have no relationship with Harris Media, neither do they acknowledge the The Real Raila and Uhuru for Us.
The Cambridge Analytica spokesperson told Privacy International that their firm was in no way involved in spewing negative political content throughout the bitterly contested August polls.