#IfikieWazazi, UEFAtop list of Google trending Kenyan searches

Search engine giant Google has released the top trending searches in Kenya for the week of April 8-15, 2018.

Top on the list was the UEFA Champions League quarter-final matches with the trending matches being Manchester City vs Liverpool, Real Madrid vs Juventus and Roma vs Barcelona.

The week also saw Kenyans log into Google to understand what the #IfikieWazazi trend – a campaign meant to expose and publicly shame teenagers sharing inappropriate pictures on social media – was all about.

Through the hashtag, which was the second trending item on Google Search, social media users shared pictures and videos of teens posing suggestively with the hope that their parents would identify them and take action.

The Kenya Revenue Authority was trending at number three as Kenyans sought to submit their tax returns ahead of the June 30 deadline.

Trending at number four was Winnie Mandela’s burial. The late anti-apartheid icon, and ex-wife of Nelson Mandela, was laid to rest with full state honours on Saturday, in a ceremony attended by former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, Graça Machel as well as dignitaries from other countries.

South Africa’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party leader, Julius Malema and British actress and singer, Naomi Campbell – both who gave speeches at the burial, were among those most searched for.

The Hong Kong Sevens – an annual premier tournament on the World Rugby Sevens Series competition – was the fifth trending item. The tournament saw the Kenya national Rugby Sevens team lose to Fiji 24-12 at the finals held at Hong Kong Stadium on Sunday 8^th April 2018.

Syria became the sixth trending search item on Google, as Kenyans sought updates on airstrikes targeting research centers in Damascus believed to have produced chemical weapons. The U.S., France and the U.K. had on Saturday 14^th launched an overnight strike on multiple Syrian targets, in response to Bashar Assad regime’s chemical attack a week ago.

Lecturers’ Strike 2018 became the sixth trending search item on Google, as Kenyans sought to know the details of the strike that has affected learning in public universities in the country since 1st March.

Seventh on the list of trending items in the week was Kenyan rapper Timmy TDat. Having come under fire from a section of Kenyans online, the artiste was forced to apologize for ‘mishandling’ a female fan during a weekend concert at Ngong Racecourse, Nairobi.

IEBC was the eighth trending search item on Google. The Electoral body’s CEO Ezra Chiloba was the most searched personality in IEBC searches as he was sent on forced leave by the chairman Wafula Chebukati.

The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) – involving more than 6,600 athletes and team officials from 71 Commonwealth nations and territories to the Gold Coast – was the ninth trending search item on Google. By the end of the week, Kenya had clinched 17 medals: 4 Gold, 7 Silver and 6 Bronze.

Closing the list of top ten trending Kenyan searches for the week was Joshua Oigara – the Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) Group. While releasing its latest annual report, the bank announced the re-appointment of Mr. Oigara as the group CEO for a four year term, and disclosed a salary rise that places him among the highest-paid executives in the country.

Here are results for the most popular searches by Kenyans in the past week in descending order:

1. Football: UEFA Champions League matches – Mancity vs Liverpool, Real Madrid vs Juventus & Roma Vs Barcelona
2. #IfikieWazazi
3. Kenya Revenue Authority
4. Winnie Mandela Burial, Julius Malema, Naomi Campbell
5. Hong Kong Sevens, Kenya Sevens
6. Syria
7. Timmy TDat
8. Chiloba, IEBC
9. Commonwealth Games
10. Joshua Oigara