How Transparent Crisis Communication Builds Brand Trust: Evidence from the Kenyan E-commerce Sector?

Dr. Tonny Odhiambo

Scirj Volume XIV, Issue IX, September 2026 Edition

How Transparent Crisis Communication Builds Brand Trust: Evidence from the Kenyan E-commerce Sector?

Authors: Dr. Tonny Odhiambo

Abstract: E-commerce has changed the way Kenyan consumers discover products, compare alternatives, make payments, and interact with brands. The same digital environment, however, can make a small service failure highly visible. A delayed delivery, payment problem, misleading product description, data-privacy concern, counterfeit product complaint, or social-media allegation can quickly become a crisis because customers can share their experiences publicly and expect immediate answers. This article examines how transparent crisis communication can contribute to brand trust in the Kenyan e-commerce sector. The study uses an integrative review of scholarly literature on crisis communication, organizational transparency, brand trust, and e-commerce, together with Kenyan policy and sector evidence. The analysis is guided primarily by Situational Crisis Communication Theory and supported by relationship-oriented perspectives on trust and transparency. The review identifies five communication practices that are especially relevant to digital commerce: timely acknowledgement, factual disclosure, accountability, practical corrective information, and two-way stakeholder engagement. In the Kenyan context, these practices matter because consumers operate within an environment where concerns about privacy, security, fraud, product authenticity, payment safety, and fulfilment can increase perceived risk. The article argues that transparency is not simply a public-relations technique used after reputational damage has occurred. It is a continuing relationship practice that helps customers judge whether a platform is honest, competent, accountable, and willing to correct mistakes. The article concludes with a practical framework for transparent crisis communication in Kenyan e-commerce and proposes directions for empirical testing.

Reference: Dr. Tonny Odhiambo (2026). How Transparent Crisis Communication Builds Brand Trust: Evidence from the Kenyan E-commerce Sector?. Scirj, Volume XIV, Issue IX, September 2026 Edition, Page 1-9.