Politics and Society

Terror hotbed: CNN’s Kenya faux pas unleashes Twitter wrath

Kenyan tweeters have been incensed over CNN’s labeling of their country as a ‘terror hotbed’ ahead of US President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to the country on Friday. They have reacted with tweets highlighting the positive aspects of their country under the hashtag #SomeTellCNN

Published

9 years ago

July 24, 2015

This Is Africa

By now, we all know that CNN has got no love for Africa. Or maybe it’s just indifference. It was only last year that they broadcast an illustration of Africa with Niger erroneously marked as Nigeria.

President Obama’s visit to his ancestral homeland scheduled for today (Friday) was just another opportunity for the news network to demonstrate its supreme African ignorance.

In a report yesterday, CNN described Kenya as a “terror hotbed” with the threat from militant terror group, Al-Shabaab. This crude and stereotypical description unleashed a massive comeback from the Kenyan Twitter community under the hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN. And rightfully so.

We are proud to be #kenyans and Kenya is the most beautiful place on earth. #SomeoneTellCNN
— Peter N.Lubale (@lubalep) July 24, 2015
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Dear CNN,
It would be prudent to note that we are not a backward banana republic but a highly informed & analytical nation.#SomeoneTellCNN
— Julie Gichuru (@JulieGichuru) July 23, 2015

#SomeoneTellCNN We are a hotbed of geniuses like 15 yr old Richard Turere inventor of Lion Lights @CKirubi pic.twitter.com/OlV6HydZKy
— Dr. Paula Kahumbu (@paulakahumbu) July 24, 2015

#SomeoneTellCNN you can't litter negativity everywhere and then wonder why you're getting trashed.
— GINA DIN (@gina_din) July 23, 2015

If you thought global (Western) media was just and equitable, this would be a healthy reminder to bring you back to reality. Africa, according to organisations like the CNN, is still just a mess of war, famine, sickness and uncivilised natives.

So what makes a country a terror hotbed? What makes the United States of America not a “terror hotbed”? Is it the presence of young people who shoot innocent people in the name of race? Is it the number of black people who die at the hands of law enforcement? No, it clearly can’t be. Otherwise Africa would be issuing travel advisories to its citizens against travelling to the ‘land of the free’.

Let’s see your thoughts. Join in the conversation and make your statement. #SomebodyTellCNN