Paper Title
Framing the Vote in the Digital Age: Social Media Frames and Electoral Discourse in Kenya’s 2022 Presidential Election

Abstract
Due to the increasing importance of digital platforms in human interactions, social media has become a vital space for shaping public opinion and influencing political behavior. Politics forms an interesting field of human interaction. Focusing on Kenya’s 2022 presidential election, this paper, guided by Framing and Agenda-Setting Theories, discusses how social media platforms function as framing and agenda-setting tools during electoral cycles. Utilizing qualitative content analysis, the paper engages with campaign-related posts on Facebook and Twitter. Results from the analyses show that the most prevalent frames were ethnic identity, corruption, and leadership ability, which were spread through campaign-directed and user-generated material. The paper further contends that although social media democratizes political speech, it also helps to solidify divisive narratives. By placing framing in the African context of hybrid media systems, this paper advances comparative political communication. Keywords - Agenda-Setting, Electoral Discourse, Dynasties VS.Hustlers,Framing, Hybrid Media Systems, Political Polarization,