Kenyan Twitterati

Today (June 30, 2011) is World Social Media Day and there is no better way to celebrate it than to be in the social media! One of the social media that we all like hands down is Twitter and the Foreign Policy magazine recently run the The FP Twitterati 100. However, I was surprised no one featured in the list from our part of the world apart from president Paul Kagame @PaulKagame and a few others from African continent. That is NOT to say that Twitter is not King in Africa. In Kenya we do have Twitterati. So here is my #FF. This are tweeps you need to follow!

Twitter sign in page

Geo-Politics

Aly Satchu Khan (@alykhansatchu) – He has been described as the king of twitter in Kenya. Expect to get tweets on Geo-Politics, live feed of NSE etc. A cool guy he is.

Tom Mboya (@tommboya) – A governance specialist & also Deputy CEO, Inuka Kenya Trust

CEO’s

Bob Collymore (@bobcollymore ) – Safaricom’s CEO.  He may be credited getting CEO’s on twitter in Kenya.

Chris Kirubi (@CKirubi ) – Kenyan business man connected at the right places.

Mugo Kabati (@mugokibati) – CEO of Kenya Vision 2030 (Kenya’s blue print to achieve middle income status). Learning the ropes of using twitter.

Diplomats

Amb. Scott Gration (@USembassyKenya)– Kenya’s new ambassador to Kenya. Preceded by (@Amb4reform-Michael Ranneberger)

Rob Macaire(@UKinKenya)– Tweets from the British High Commission in Kenya. Also, blogs.

Aeneas C. Chuma (@AeneasChumaUN)– Head of UN in Kenya

Jacques Pitteloud (@JHPitteloud) – Swiss Ambassador to Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Somalia and The Seychelles. (Former Spy!)

Politicians

Martha Karua (@Martha_W_Karua) – MP for Gichugu Constituency. Presidential Candidate for Kenya 2012.

Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) – Kenya’s Finance Minister and deputy Prime Minister. From the sources I have he is the one behind the twitter handle.

Prof. Anyang Nyong’o (@AnyangNyongo) – Min. for Medical Services and ODM Sec. General. Recently joined twitter thanks to his youthful daughters @Zawadin and . Yet to develop the tweeting culture

Peter Kenneth (@Peter_Kenneth) –MP Gatanga constituency, Assistant Ministry of State of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030.

Presidents

Yoweri K Museveni (@KagutaMuseveni) – President of Uganda

Jacob G. Zuma (@SAPresident) – Twitter handle for the president of South Africa

Judges

Dr. Willy Mutunga (@Wmutunga) – Kenyan Chief Justice (recently joined twitter)

Techies

Erik Hersman (@whiteafrican) –Co-founder of Ushahidi, iHub Nairobi and AfriGadget

Akira Chicks (@akirachixs) –A ladies tech group with innovations such as (@mfarm_ke)

Ory Okolloh (@kenyanpundit)–Google Policy Manager Africa, co-founder Ushahidi.com & Mzalendo.com, Afropolitan

Juliana Rotich (@afromusing) –Co-Founder of Ushahidi

Kaburo (@kaburo) –Tweets from head of Tandaa (ICT Board Kenya) 

Paul Kukubo (@pkukubo)– CEO, Kenya Information and Communication Technology Board

Mark Kaigwa (@mkaigwa) – Strategist, who works with brands, agencies & nonprofits to communicate to a new generation of Africans online

Nairobi Lab (@thenailab)– Incubation Laboratory focused on I.T. Based or I.T. Heavy SMEs.

Bloggers

Bankele (@bankelele)

Kenyan Poet (@Kenyanpoet) – Performance Poet, Published Writer,Arts blogger & tech enthusiast

Cold Tusker (@coldtusker)

News Personalities

Jeff Koinange (@koinangejeff  – Host of the Capital Talk on K24

Oliver Mathenge (@OliverMathenge) – Daily Nation reporter

Dennis Itumbi (@OleItumbi) – Kenyan

David McKenzie (@McKenzieCNN) – CNN correspondent in Africa

Charles Onyango-Obbo (@Cobbo3)–Executive Editor for Africa & Digital Media Division, Nation Media Group

Personalities

John Githongo (@johngithongo) – Former anti-corruption Czar

Eric Wainaina (@EricWainaina) – Musician who deals with societal issues

Al Kags (@alkags) – An orginiser #Feb28

Buddha Blaze (@ItsBuddhaBlaze) – Connector to events

2012 Elections

The Kenyan elections are scheduled for August 2012 and with the incumbent not eligible for re-election. It means that come end of the election Kenya is poised to have a new president. Pundits are of the opinion that the man on the hill next year most probably will be a twitterati. So this has seen lots of politicians join twitter in Kenya in anticipation to woo the Kenyan’s on twitter. However, one at times does not know who is behind the twitter handle. So here are some of those that may be twitter accounts that come with the season

Team Uhuru (@TeamUhuru) – Teams managing Uhuru Kenyatta (Dep. PM) Presidential bid

Raila Odinga (@PMRailaOdinga) – Teams managing Raila Odinga (PM) Presidential bid