Google has released the Zeitgeist list for the top searches in 2012, revealing insightful and interesting results for Kenya. Leading the list for overall trending Kenyan searches in 2012 was the IEBC, followed by Facebook, Whitney Houston and Tubidy along with the late Njenga Karume and author/politician Miguna Miguna. The Zeitgeist includes top trending people in Kenya, TV shows, how to, what is, and top image searches – a pointer to what Kenyans were interested in 2012.

The increasing popularity of TV soaps has been reflected on the Google trends with Eva Luna, triumph of love and Pasion Morena among the trending TV shows. The main characters of these shows also featured prominently in Kenya’s top trending image searches.

Under the most searched terms in ‘how to’, Google trends shows ‘how to abort’ was the most term. Interestingly, ‘how to conceive’ was the fourth most searched item in this category.

The global Google Zeitgeist website was launched on Wednesday and will host all 838 top-ten lists from 55 countries. Visitors will be able to compare terms through interactive data visualization, check out global search trends, and watch the annual Zeitgeist video on the page http://www.google.com/zeitgeist/2012.

Kenya’s top trending searches:

1.     IEBC

2.     Facebook

3.     Whitney Houston

4.     Tubidy

5.     Euro 2012

6.     Daily Post

7.     GHRIS

8.     ICC

9.     Njenga Karume

10.   Miguna Miguna

Trending people:

1.     Whitney Houston

2.     Njenga Karume

3.     Miguna Miguna

4.     John Michuki

5.     Nancy Baraza

6.     Saitoti

7.     Fabrice Muamba

8.     Robin  Van Persie

9.     James Ingram

10.   Eddie Murphy

Kenya’s trending TV shows: 

1.     Eva Luna

2.     BBA Stargame

3.     Shuga

4.     Triumph of Love

5.     Tusker Project Fame

6.     Pasion Morena

7.     KulaHappy

8.     Morning Awaits

9.     Nikita Season 2

10.   Tabasamu

Trending sportspeople/ athletes:

1.     Robin Van Persie

2.     David Rudisha

3.     Mario Balotelli

4.     Victor Wanyama

5.     Ronaldhino

6.     Conjestina Achieng

7.     Michael Phelps

8.     Ezekiel Kemboi

9.     Podolski

10.   Lance Armstrong

Kenya’s trending artists:

1.     Whitney Houston

2.     James Ingram

3.     Eddie Murphy

4.     Prezzo

5.     Bobby Brown

6.     Gangnam

7.     Michael Clarke Duncan

8.     Bobbi Kristina

9.     Camp Mulla

10.   Morgan Freeman