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Is Disease War? A Critical Analysis of the Covid-19 Discourse in Kenya

Author

Listed:
  • Albert Mogambi Moinani

    (Department of Languages and Lingusitics, Kisii University, Kenya)

  • Margaret Nasambu Barasa

    (Department of Languages and Lingusitics, Kisii University, Kenya)

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes the Covid-19 public address discourse by government officials in Kenya with a view to establishing the implications on public attitude and behavior towards fighting the pandemic. The paper utilizes the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) framework to examine the lexical choices the officials made and their implications for public attitudes and behavior towards the COVID-19 19 pandemic. The argument is that during times of crisis and uncertainty, the public looks up to those in authority for guidance and protection. The authorities also expect the public to comply and obey the government guidelines so as to manage the Covid 19 crisis. Public attitude and behavior therefore become an important component in crisis management, especially during periods of uncertainty occasioned by war and disease outbreaks. Studying language use by those in power is important because language is a powerful force that shapes people’s mind and society’s attitude and behavior. The study analyzed 90 utterances from key government officials regarding the Covid 19 prevention measures. The texts were extracted from the live briefings from the Audio-visual media in Kenya namely KBC TV, CITIZEN, KTN and NTV. The press briefings were between 3-00pm to 4:00pm on week days. The findings of the study reveal that the government officials perceived the pandemic as war whereas the public viewed it as a falsehood, hence non-existent. The findings of this study would be useful in shedding light on the role language plays in managing risks during times of crisis and uncertainty occasioned by pandemics such as the Covid-19 disease.

Suggested Citation

  • Albert Mogambi Moinani & Margaret Nasambu Barasa, 2021. "Is Disease War? A Critical Analysis of the Covid-19 Discourse in Kenya," International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS), vol. 5(3), pages 411-417, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bcp:journl:v:5:y:2021:i:3:p:411-417
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Catherine Mei Ling Wong & Olivia Jensen, 2020. "The paradox of trust: perceived risk and public compliance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(7-8), pages 1021-1030, August.
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    4. Wouter Poortinga & Nick F. Pidgeon, 2003. "Exploring the Dimensionality of Trust in Risk Regulation," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 23(5), pages 961-972, October.
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