Kenya Govt Spending Sh146,000 Monthly on Twitter Verification

The Kenyan government appears to be forking out Sh146,423 per month for Twitter verification badges. This is based on the verified accounts of State House Kenya, President William Ruto, and his Deputy, Rigathi Gachagua. According to Twitter, a verified organisation pays up to $1,000 (Sh139,450) each month and $50 (Sh6,972) for each additional affiliate. That amounts to a total of Sh146,423 per month.

The outlays would earn an organization a grey checkmark and a square avatar if they are a government or international body.  For instance, if the State House Twitter account applied for a verified badge, the President and Vice President would need to pay Sh6,972 each month to maintain their verified status.

“Twitter Verified Organisations enables organisations of all types–businesses, non-profits, and government institutions–to sign up and manage their verification and to affiliate and verify any related account,” the Twitter blog reads.  

In April, Gachagua’s Twitter account lost its blue checkmark after Twitter CEO Elon Musk implemented the new Twitter Blue feature. This new subscription offers users the ability to prioritize replies, mentions, and searches, giving them a better chance to confront spam/scams. They will also have fewer advertisements, and the ability to post long videos and audio. Twitter’s verification system, which is symbolized by a blue check next to the user’s handle, was first created in 2009, three years after the website was launched.

 “There will also be a secondary tag below the name for someone who is a public figure, which is already the case for politicians,” Musk said. 

The Independent reported that the concept of verification was initiated after Tony La Russa, a renowned baseball figure, filed a lawsuit against Twitter in 2009 concerning an impostor. This system was created to affirm the identity of a user. Elon Musk proclaimed that it would cost approximately Sh972 ($8) each month to receive the verification.