From #Hashtags to the Streets: The Rising Tide of African Protests and the Quest for Leadership Accountability

Abstract

This paper explores the recent wave of protest movements across Africa, notably the Nigeria's #EndBadGovernance, Kenya's #KOT movement, and Uganda's #UgandaParliamentExhibition. These movements have been interpreted as indicators of a burgeoning collective consciousness among citizens (Honwana, 2014; Chiamogu et al., 2021). However, this emerging awareness prompts critical inquiries into whether these protests can truly drive substantive change, especially considering Africa's long history of similar movements. The paper delves into whether these contemporary protests can achieve what previous ones could not, particularly in terms of altering the entrenched attitudes of African ruling elites known for poor governance. It is reasonable to question whether what is perceived as a conscious awakening is actually driven by the sheer number of public participation, individuals tweeting, and blogging about these issues, thereby creating a theatricalized media presence that fuels rolling news coverage. Suffice it to say that while each perception and action can provoke significant responses from protest movements, these responses typically occur instinctively and rapidly, without conscious awareness. While these protests are praiseworthy for their impact, the paper argues that they represent instinctual, rapid responses rather than deliberate, informed actions. Consequently, while these movements are vital in highlighting grievances, they are ultimately insufficient to enacting meaningful, systemic change of leadership in Africa, because they lack the strategic depth and sustained effort necessary to address the continent's deep-rooted issues in the absence of a fundamental revolution of thought.