In a first by a top Kenyan politician, former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua stepped into the digital spotlight on Wednesday night, hosting a live session on video sharing platform TikTok. 

The online exchange saw him tackle topical issues such as healthcare and the country’s political trends, directly engaging with thousands of wananchi.

By embracing TikTok Live, Gachagua appears to have embraced a bold strategy aimed at connecting with the youth—the driving force of Kenya’s tech savvy generation. With the youth’s influence poised to influence the 2027 General Election, Gachagua’s move shows his intentions to further expand his political constituency in Kenya’s dynamic online space.

During the live show hosted by content creator Kuira wa Kabiru that lasted more than two hours, Gachagua delved into the hot topic concerning healthcare services under Kenya’s Social Health Authority (SHA).

He criticized the government of the day for how it handled the execution of SHA even as reports of delayed or unsatisfactory services continue to mount against the Ministry of Health. 

According to Gachagua, the healthcare insurance initiative has failed to meet expectations of the people because it was rushed and poorly implemented. 

He also said that the initiative was extortionate and many Kenyans are unable to access basic healthcare services despite having made contributions to the health fund.

“The program was good in concept, but the implementation has been very wanting. It was rushed without sufficient consultation with stakeholders,” said Gachagua.

Gachagua questioned the need for a new healthcare system at a cost of KES104 billion, arguing that experts had recommended a more cost-effective alternative that required revamping the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). “It was possible to reform and improve NHIF at a cost of about KES800 million,” he said. 

The SHA project has already seen an initial expenditure of approximately KES110.9 billion. A total of Kes104.8 billion was spent on the contract for the supporting technology infrastructure while KES6.1 billion was paid for the SHA system. However, it has been a matter of national interest since its launch in October, a significant number of patients registering their dissatisfaction with the system.

Data from a 2023 Reuters Institute report shows that Kenya has the highest TikTok usage rate in the world, with 54 percent of Kenyans using the app for a variety of purposes, including news and entertainment. This makes TikTok a good ground to drive political influence.

Arguably, the emerging trend of using TikTok for political communication also reflects a change in voter behaviour as many Kenyans use the platform and social media at large for news and information. 

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