(MENAFN) TikTok has emerged as the top platform for misinformation in Kenya, according to the Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2025, published on Monday.

The study, based on an online survey of 2,007 Kenyans conducted between February and May 2025, emphasized the growing impact of social media as the country approaches its 2027 presidential election.

Findings show that 55% of respondents identified TikTok as the leading source of misleading or false information—higher than any other platform. WhatsApp, by contrast, was perceived as less problematic due to its private, trust-based messaging structure.

Kenya continues to lead globally in TikTok usage. In 2023, it was already ranked as the highest TikTok-using nation by Reuters, and that trend has grown—38% of participants now say they get news through the app. That puts Kenya ahead of South Africa (33%), Nigeria (28%), and Morocco (24%) among Global South countries included in the report.

The researchers noted the sample was limited to online users, likely skewing the results toward younger, urban, English-speaking adults aged 18 to 50—an influential demographic in online discourse.

TikTok has taken steps to moderate content in Kenya, removing over 334,000 videos in line with its community standards, according to its Q3 2024 enforcement report. Of those, nearly 89% were taken down before gaining any views, and 93% were deleted within 24 hours.

President William Ruto has recently criticized the rise of online disinformation, warning it poses a serious challenge to Kenya’s democratic institutions. In April, he described digital misinformation as a “systemic threat,” capable of fueling hate, incitement, and insecurity.

Earlier studies, including a June 2022 Mozilla Foundation report released before the country’s last general election, also flagged TikTok as a key channel for fast-spreading political disinformation.

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