Ok maybe i got jinxed after posting on the coastal jinis. i have simply been unable to blog! a case of what we used to call brain lock.
but yesterday was the traditional ash Wednesday. the beginning of a 40 day period of reflection, silence repentance and supplication in the catholic and other orthodox faiths also known as lent. I think I saw Philo Ikonya in a fashionable sack cloth during the mass. i remember seeing her on TV the previous day talking about the need for Kenyans to wear sack cloth or even a small piece of sack to mourn the more than 1000 lives we lost but more so to mourn the loss of democracy and justice in our country. the lent period couldn't have come at a more opportune moment, that all will be called to truthfully reevaluate their souls and give this country a chance. As they say Kenyan does not have enough resources to satisfy for one man/womans wants but it sure does have all we need to satisfy all our needs. this time should help us to exorcise the jini of tribalism. it already helped people build careers, get land, loans, wives etc but now that jini must go!
elsewhere, the media is finding itself between the proverbial rock and a hard place. on the one hand its being urged to help attract tourists by reporting Kenya positively, not to show the deaths, the fire burning , the police shooting etc. but others insist the media failed to show the plight of the weak and the dying, even some IDPs are suffering more coz their plight is not being brought to the fore by the media. again, do we gain more by hiding the image denting truth or by highlighting the crimes of state on its own people?
and finally, i heard that patrons in my favorite joint were the other day arrested by police for drinking past the hour also known as a crime of thirst!
Along the same lines, I listened to a colleague of mine trying to justify the live reporting ban and saying how it was a necessary action to ensure that the country did not spiral into total chaos etc. I suppose the "well-intentioned" need to do this wouldn't have arisen if the poll results had not been manipulated , would it? This is akin to somebody who intentionally sets your house on fire, then hurries back to help you remove the barrels of petroleum that "might catch fire". Thanks but no thanks.
ReplyDeleteSuffice it to say that the mainstream media started failing Kenyans long before the ballot. It was clear that objective, fair and balanced reporting (or at least an attempt to reach it) was chucked out of the window in the period during and after the referendum.
So, tough luck for Kenyans. I for one prefer to read blogs. Somehow, there'll always be a blogger somewhere who is able to hit the nail on the head.
P.S. what's with the changes at Standard? Somebody out to get Kwendo or just a "harmless" staff reshuffle.
@qadafi, infact thats what the chairman of kenya tourism board said. that banning news coverage meant nothing since, by the time, the minister woke up in the morning, the west, would already have read the stories in online fora, blogs and other sites. in fact he said that blogs had taken over the media function.
ReplyDeletei dont see much into Opanga's exit, i suppose its just a normal retirement. in any case, there are many new younger and 'sharper' editors now in the group than even Kwendo Opanga.
@Qadaffi
ReplyDeleteRumour has it he wants to replace Ken Otiato in the vacant Emuhaya sit.
@Odegle: even the USA has regulations that can prohibit 'LIVE' broadcasts during certain civil situations.Knowing when or not to apply them is part of the process of democratic growth.
ReplyDeleteChurches-Am angry that churches are calling for prayers when during the period after December 30th 2007,they just kept quiet while people died.
Some of the clergymen openly took sides thru news adverts before the polls.Now after the elections is when they are behaving diplomatically.I think the church has lost its credibility.Thats why no one has invited them to the mediation talks.
OD,
ReplyDeleteDo you really believe the tribal jini can go back into the bottle now???
@pesatu, when it comes to media bans, you need to be very careful. remember its mostly dictators who like to ban the media. remember it was only after the police was shown shooting a defenseless man on TV that they started exercising restraint.
ReplyDeleteon churches... mmm well I just have nothing to say!
@tamtam, i believe so. am told that kenyans hate each other even when abroad. stories abound that in the US for instance, kenyans seek to define their home identities and discriminate against each other just like back here based on tribalism. surely this is stupidity Literally carried too far!
ReplyDelete