MURIMI: Is CNN’s Barbara Starr a ‘hotbed of ignorance’?

A Cable News Network (CNN) report referring to Kenya as a ‘hotbed of terror’ is in very bad taste. Kenyans were extremely agitated, to say the least.

First, this is a misrepresentation of facts since we all know that Kenya is country of peace-loving people.

The Barbara Starr report is a perfect example of how journalists create sensational stories and mislead the world.

Let’s talk facts. This is not the first time CNN has portrayed Kenya as a violent state.

In 2012, CNN referred to a suspected terror attack in Nairobi as violence. This led to the birth of the hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN.

The online backlash forced CNN to apologize to Kenyans and pull down the video.

During the 2013 electioneering period, CNN reported of a possible post poll chaos as a result of anticipated contest between the presidential candidates and their political alliances.

#SomeoneTellCNN ridiculed the report that showed ‘militias’ armed with crude weapons allegedly preparing for violence in the Rift Valley region.

Such reports have deliberately portrayed Kenya as a violent and chaotic nation.

If Kenya was such a “terror hotbed”, why does Nairobi play host to the largest number of foreign journalists in Africa?

As a matter of fact, during the terror attack in Tunisia this year, CNN journalists never set foot in the North African country but reported from Nairobi with live-feeds from wire sources.

Fact, the crime rate in South Africa’s Johannesburg alone is higher than the crime rate in the entire Kenya.

The misrepresentation of facts by several CNN’s correspondents’ shows how uninformed they are about Africa.

While CNN brands Kenya as a “terror hotbed”, they need to be reminded that terror is a global threat and Kenya is a victim just like any other country.

Editor’s note: The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer and do not reflect those of Citizen TV.