Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Press Stands Accused

Never has there been a time in Kenya’s history when the press has been needed so badly in the service of our beloved bleeding nation.

Yet when you read our daily newspapers carefully you will quickly notice that something is very wrong somewhere.

A few days ago ECK chair Samuel Kivuitu called a press conference to announce that somebody had forged his signature and issued a paid advert of the presidential elections, which Kivuitu knew nothing about. By the way everybody seems to have missed the point that if what the ECK chairman is saying is true, a criminal offence has been committed. Still the suspects in this case will never ever be arrested or charged in court. That's Kenya's highly selective justice for you.

But I digress. My point is that the Kivuitu story was not published by the Daily Nation. My question is why? Even if Kivuitu is now a mental case, this was still front page news. So why was it not published? Later I was informed that the story was published on page 9. In my edition of Daily Nation, purchased outside Nairobi, there is no such story on page 9. But if I may ask another question, if indeed the story was published in some editions, why page 9? Why not the front or back page or the very least page 2 or 3? Wasn't it important?

And there are plenty of other examples where our press has remained mum even as the country staggers on the edge of an abyss that drops straight into the horrors of hell itself. Of course the excuse everybody is using these days is that they do not want to incite. Phrases like responsible journalism are used a lot, even in this blog by our critics who incidentally insist on keeping on reading this blog full of alleged propaganda instead of moving on and shutting up. Common sense dictates that if a blog is spewing lies and propaganda all the time, then it will die a natural death as readers shun it. However our traffic figures have been climbing steeply because not only do we seem able to predict things accurately but we say it as it is.

Judging from the steep rise in our readership since the press in Kenya went quiet and became an extension of government in-house publications, another blogger would have used this post to thank the press and tell them, na mkae hivyo hivyo.

In many ways let me be the first to admit that this post is rather naive in many ways. Firstly it ignores the high stakes game being played behind the scenes. We know that Americans are doing one thing in public and quite another in private. In fact they are amongst the international powers fully backing Kibaki and giving him that so-much-confidence look. Or as my friends in the estate would put it; that mta-do? look.

It also ignores the fact that the Kibaki administration went out of its’ way to ensure full control of the press right from day one. Apart from the record number of bills touching on the media that were presented in the 9th parliament, it is believed that State House influenced the appointment of a very senior executive in the Nation group who in fact comes from the President’s home district. Little wonder that despite having some of the best staff in the region and beyond, the Daily Nation in the last few weeks has sadly degenerated to a shadow of its’ old self. It is now difficult to tell how much of it is due to “state control” and how much of it is voluntary self censorship.

My message to the dear members of the fourth estate is this; how will history judge you? What will they say the press were doing in Kenya when the nation was facing its’ most serious crisis ever?

49 comments:

  1. When there was leadership crisis and ODM/PNU thugs were battling it out on the streets, the media took charge and led the way forward with calls for peace.

    I've travelled extensively in Africa (through God's grace) and without any doubt in my mind I can say that our media is the most vibrant in Africa.

    We also have some of the best commentators in Africa. Who can beat Philip Ochieng', Macharia Gaitho, Kwamchetsi Makokha to name just but a few? These guys pull no punches and even rake the muck to anyone who deserves it!

    Look at our vibrant talk shows like Louis Otieno Live, On the Spot, Agenda Kenya, Newsline etc. They are world class with awesome debates and moderators.


    The current ban we have on live broadcasts is just a blip on our media freedom but through the grace of God, things will return to normal.

    I also wish our journalists could be paid better. While media CEO's like NMG's Linus Gitahi can earn a mind boggling Ksh 2.5M per MONTH and guys like newsreader Swaleh Mdoe and Kasavuli pocket 800K monthly, news reporters take home even under 20K.

    I know this reporter who still lives in his mama's house and sleeps on the sofa!

    Our media has come a long way since the days of Njehu Gatabaki of the infamous 'Finance' magazine to todays tabloids like 'Citizen'. Mambo bado. Aluta Continua!

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  2. Chris wacha uwongo, the Daily Nation published the story on page 9. You are outside the country and I wonder which other Daily nation you are talking about.

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  3. thats right Chris, you must have missed that story in the nation. Infact it was deeper than the standard, because they actually named the ECK fellow who delivered the CD's and signed the contract for the adverts. Incidentally the same guy reports directly to Kivuitu so your guess is as good as mine - some commissioners (read Kihara and others) have already usurped Kivuitus powers as we speak.

    -Phil-

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  4. ALARMIST. Propagandist and hel-bent. DOmo!

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  5. I work for the Kenyan media. I agree with Chris, the Nation "never" published the story. By treating such a serious national story like a normal filler from the village news, the Nation is guilty of not "publishing" the story.
    Hiding stories inside the pages, or mixing key stories with other not very important stories is an age old tactic of killing important national issues.
    It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that when someone forges the identity of the chairman of the electoral commission, at such a time, is a key page one story. We in the mainstream media, Standard, Nation, KTN, NTV, are suffering. We go back home with heads low, ashamed that our directors are part of the scheme to lie to Kenyans.
    There is very little you can do if all the editorial directors have to get clearance from Stanley Murage before key stories are published.
    We have the figures of election results sent from about 197 constituencies with our reporters, showing that Raila had a big lead. But the figures were taken off air on the fateful Sunday at 12 pm. A few hours later, Kivuitu plunged the country to bloodshed, after reading fake results. Citizen Radio had results from 203 constituencies by Sunday Midday. What happened to the results... your guess is as good as mine.
    One day someone will publish those figures.
    WE have no alternative but to read sites like Kumekucha and get a feel of what it means to have freedom to publish the truth

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  6. AHHH, Blessed are you saying the truth. If so, then, you are right as any other person who imagines that the state is controlling the media.

    But you forget that much of the profits are earned from government contracts and goodwill. Remember Kenneth Matiba's People Daily? They simply let it go down for fear of being associated with the opposition.

    You are aware that for you to wake up and find yourself ina good job, you have to toe-the-line and this is what is happening.

    Anyway, someone said here two weeks ago MTA DO, ehhh...sasa mta do nini...tushafanya.

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  7. Dear Blessed,

    Thank you. From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU.

    One day historians will record the fact that during these dark days, there were those in the media who used to go "back home with heads low, ashamed that their directors were part of a scheme to lie to Kenyans."

    Freedom is not free and many times you have to fight even to retain it. Any observant person can tell that this blog is under serious attack. It is obvious why those who keep on leaving "strange" comments here cannot simply avoid reading Kumekucha but choose instead to come back and instead keep on saying the same thing, without even bothering to read the post they are commenting under, like an old disc record that is stuck.

    Obviously somebody who has worked very hard to effectively shut down the media is NOT happy that there is still a place that is freely publishing the truth.

    Blessed, you are a true patriot and may the good LORD end your days of shame soon.

    -Kumekucha-
    P.S. Ignore all the comments that attempt to pour cold water on the great revelation that you have released to the world this day.

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  8. The truth is not many people take our Kenyan journalists seriously. Many are corrupt and deeply embedded in the fat wallets of some bigshots.

    Sex scandals are routine in major media houses. Some papers like 'Standard' are openly biased without any shame leaning towards ODM and even school kids will tell you that.


    For heaven's sake who can take writers like Dominic Odipo seriously? Many writers have loose morals like alley cats. It's all about the money, fattening their wallets.

    Nation tries hard to be fair and balanced and even polls from media watchdogs showed that. We have a long way to go for free media should be the watchdog of democracy.

    The media was the chief catalyst of Rwandese genocide. Some of our papers and FM stations are indeed guilty of incitement thus causing mass murder of the innocent.

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  9. Remember this Accurate and Chilling Prediction!

    Sunday Nation, Dec 2003

    Why our second liberation is yet to be completed

    By MUTAHI NGUNYI

    This week I want to give a suggestion to President Mwai Kibaki: He
    should fire his speechwriter! If we lived in a ''banana republic,''
    these people would have actually been charged with sabotage.
    What they gave the President to read on Jamhuri Day was flat and
    shoddy.

    In fact, his speech on this day sounded like recycled material from
    the Madaraka Day and Kenyatta Day addresses. And what is worrying is
    that his speechwriters did not even seem to notice the repetitions.
    The question we should ask here is why?

    The answer to this is simple: Maybe they also slept through the
    speeches! The long and short of things is therefore that someone is
    being negligent.

    Let us now turn to the fact that the President has finally put his
    portrait on our currency. In my view, there is absolutely nothing
    wrong with that. In fact, there would be nothing wrong if he put a
    family portrait on one of the currency notes.

    What we must understand here is that President Kibaki is a human
    being. He has urges and excesses. To deny him some things is
    therefore ridiculous. It is like placing a pot full of honey in
    front of a little boy and expecting him not to dip his finger into
    the stuff! In other words, our new President is cuddling in the
    warmth and comfort of the institutions that shaped former President
    Daniel arap Moi. And, if this is the case, why should we be
    surprised if he ''hatched'' into a dictator?

    What we have witnessed in the last one year is the degeneration of
    President Kibaki from a reformer to a ''Toad King''. This process
    begins with the President becoming insensitive. At this point, he
    breaks one pledge after another without feeling a thing. And, as he
    does this, the question in his mind is: Where can you take me?
    In the case of the MoU for instance, we took him nowhere. The
    begrudged politicians yapped until the cows came home. Now the
    President has put his portrait on our currency and we will take him
    nowhere. The general attitude here is this: If you do not like it,
    you can sit on a pin!

    Numbing his sense to popular voices will definitely degenerate into
    a state of paranoia. At this point, the President will make one
    blunder after another. And instead of correcting his mistakes, he
    will increase his speed in the direction of the wrong. This is where
    former President Moi was when he introduced ''Project Uhuru'' to the
    country. The crowds booed him, his loyal followers in Kanu abandoned
    him and even his own people questioned his wisdom. But the more we
    rejected his ''project'', the more determined he became.

    There is a lesson for President Kibaki here. He is increasingly
    becoming like Mr Moi during the 2002 elections. He is not yet
    paranoid, but his insensitivity could develop into ''political
    blindness''. Who knows how low he will have sunk by the 2007
    elections? And this is what worries me.

    Consider a hypothetical situation here. What would happen if
    President Kibaki decided to run for re-election in 2007 and lost?
    Would he and his men have the grace to hand over power peacefully?
    From the way they have behaved in the last one year, I doubt it. And
    where would that leave the country? At the risk of sounding crazy, I
    want to suggest the following: If we thought that Mr. Moi would
    plunge the country into civil strife, he proved us wrong. Narc is
    the party to plunge the county into civil strife. You just have to
    listen to the FM stations and the call-in television programmes to
    see a pattern. From the name of the caller, you can almost predict
    what they will say and what side of the divide they will take. In a
    disputed election, such polarity would certainly take ugly
    proportions.

    But there are two possible ways out of this. The first one has to do
    with the agenda of the second liberation. This process was meant to
    achieve two things - to remove Mr. Moi from power and replace him
    with reform-minded leaders. This was done successfully. However, as
    we are beginning to realise, Mr. Moi was not the problem.
    The problem was the institutions he inherited from the Kenyatta. To
    change the leadership without changing the institutions is like
    treating cancer with Malaraquin. This is partly why
    the ''institutional cancer'' in the presidency is beginning to
    affect President Kibaki.

    Putting his portrait on our currency and junking the pre-election
    MoU are just manifestations of this cancer. This is why the other
    agenda of the second liberation was institutional reforms. Until
    this is completed, the second liberation will not have happened.
    More specifically, this refers to the constitutional review process.
    And, at this point I would want to address the delegates preparing
    for Bomas III on January 12, 2004.

    It is my hope that you have had time to reflect on the issues at
    hand in Bomas III. We are also told that the politicians have spent
    this long break to bribe you. In my view you should take the bribes
    and use the money to enjoy your Christmas. You must realise at this
    point that you are involved in politics and that in this game there
    is no morality. As such, you should have fun on someone else's
    account! However, when it comes to voting, you must reject
    the ''bribe givers'' and vote for the country.

    This is important because of the following reasons. If the second
    liberation had two phases, the first phase of replacing the
    leadership had to be carried out by 3.1 million voters. Replacing Mr
    Moi and his cronies was in my view the easy part. The second phase
    is the tough one. And this is where you come in. You are only 600
    people, and the future of our country depends on you.
    I have two questions for you at this point. One, as you vote for
    issues, will you be thinking of your ''tribal chief'' or your
    children? In my view, your tribe is your children. If you make a
    constitution for your children, you will have made a constitution
    for Kenya.

    Two, consider the question of the Prime Minister's post. And the
    question to you is this: If this post had been created before the
    2002 elections, do you think President Kibaki would have ''trashed''
    the MoU? Do you think he would have put his portrait on our currency
    and retained corrupt ministers in his Cabinet? If the answer to
    these questions is no, then the cure to the ''institutional cancer''
    in the presidency is the creation of this post. Do think about it!
    The second possible way out of civil strife has to do with the
    Kikuyu. Now that the presidency has returned to the ''House of
    Mumbi'', some people from the community are convinced that it is
    there to stay. In my view, this kind of thinking is retrogressive
    and could result in ethnic animosity.Kikuyus should come to terms
    with the possibility that they could lose the presidency in 2007. As
    such, they should do two things: One, ''bank'' with the other
    communities. This is important because they cannot survive alone in
    future. Two, they should disown the Kikuyu ''sharks'' in the Kibaki
    government.

    Unless they do so, the entire community will be blacklisted simply
    on account of a few people. In future, a Kikuyu presidential
    candidate would be rejected because of the misdeeds of isolated
    people. My submission therefore is: They should not support this
    regime blindly!

    My take!

    Pure Brilliance!
    Kenyans should always remember that it was Mutahi Ngunyi who went on KTN on the day the ECK was cooking up false results to try to beat some sense into Kibaki's click and the GEMA. I remember him saying,"It is now that that my community realizes that they can live without the Presidency, It is not the end of everything!". They did not listen.

    I bet that the chaos in Kenya are iust beggining. More anarchy, bloodshed and political killings are to come!

    This is what saddens me!

    Reasons

    1. The Artur Brothers were not in Kenya to do nothing?

    2. Kibaki could not have used his own daughter as a smoke screen to divert media attention for nothing!
    Clearly the press bought it. I did not! A cover up
    The brothers had met with Kalonzo. A picture showed it!

    3. The Standard raid was for nothing? A Kibaki, Kalonzo meeting remember. Why raid it if you do not fear that they have details into the meeting?

    4. Their hurried departure was for nothing?

    I doubt it. I did not buy it and Kenyans have short memory!

    Please Kumekucha Post this for all to see. Chris and Crew Please post this!

    Anthony Muiga

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  10. Ngugi wa Thiong'o condemns Kikuyu Massacre by ODM.

    "...The picture of men and women burnt down in a church where they had gone for refuge still haunts my mind. A child running away from the fire was caught and hurled back into the flames....."

    "...One of the few survivors was quoted as saying: "But they knew me; we were neighbours. I thought Peter was a friend - a good neighbour. How could Peter do this to me?....."

    "..What is disturbing is that this instant seems to have been part of a co-ordinated programme with similar acts occurring in several other places at about the same time against ordinary members of the same community..."

    from BBC website/africa/kenya

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  11. link for ngugi's attack

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7180946.stm

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  12. Thank you Blessed @ 5:49. The information you have given has confirmed what I have always suspected-that the Kenyan media is seriously compromised and at the same time state-controlled. And by the way, if you have the real figures of the presidential results, why don't you publish them on this blog for the whole world to see. Then we shall be able to compare it with the fake results that were published in the newspapers.
    The Nation Newspaper is nowadays the equivalent of the Kenya Times during the Moi era. I don't need to research to know that their sales turnover is going down while that of standard is on the rise. I for one only buy Nation on Friday for the Job adverts. But this does not mean that they do not have good journalists. Its just that they are muzzled, censored, monitored and controlled. Where are the investigative pieces that used to help ignorant Kenyans of the goings-on in the corridors of power? More and more people are turning to the gutter press because although they may not be following journalistic etiquette, they do have some truth.
    And you Anon @ 7:24, why are you bringing in Ngugi wa Thiongo's issues when we are talking about the press? People fail exams not due to ignorance, but due to inability to understand and follow instructions.

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  13. I cannot believe you are raising the issue of the press when it has been evident from early January that the Kenyan press cannot be trusted. This looks like it will be the case for a long time. I only read Kenyan papers for unimportant news. For serious updates, blogs, BBC and Reuters are going to have to suffice until further notice.

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  14. @ Blessed... I agree...that's the reason I read Kumekucha, too. I have spoken to people from Citizen TV and KTN and they say it is not fair to be censored, but most of them still want to be able to feed their families. If you watch the KTN guy, what's his name...Michael Oyier? The one with glasses. He does not look happy to be reporting, especially during the first few days of January.

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  15. Food for thought:

    Now that ODM-K is part of Government, Raila supporters represent approx 40% of Kenyans who voted.

    Tables have turned. Majority of Kenyans are PRO-GOVERNMENT.

    ODM preaches democracy. But what they mean is that "democracy" is RAILA.

    You are being manipulated by an individual hell bent on personal gains at all costs.

    Dont kill your neighbor for Raila. Do you honestly believe he really cares bout you?

    Let peace prevail!

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  16. Anonymous 8:24am,

    1. Pro-Kibaki's government is not necessarily pro-democracy.

    2. If tables have turned in so short a space of time, then we can rest assured they will turn again before long.

    3. Who is being manipulated? Think about it.

    4. You imply that Raila does not care about us. You may be right. Are you trying to say that Kibaki cares?

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  17. I read both stories i.e Kivuitu'sdenial, on Standard and on Nation. Standard had the story on Jan 11 on ther front page,l while nation carried the same story on Jan 12 in the inside pages, atleast on the online versions. So anyone reading these will wonder just why?

    Anyway anyone who is reading this and wants to be counted as a Kenyan, don't just sit there and type spinning your sides of the stories. This will not help the hundreds of thousands who are displaced.

    HELP: www.sereast.com

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  18. I stand corrected, but I had that Ngugi wa Thiongo endorsed Kibaki, he also is on point having authored leaflets that were distributed in Central inciting the masses against voting for Raila. As I said I stand corrected. If this is the role a distingushed scholar can reduce himself to then I cannot even dare read any balderdash from him. There was a time when Ngugi was ejected from a hotel in the US because he was black, this made him so mad that he sought an apology from the hotel. My point, Ngugi knows too well how the black man is disadvantaged instead of taking partisan interests he should be on the forefront to see that Kenyan thrives so that Kenyans don't have to live for the US for greener pastures.

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  19. What Blessed has written is true. Very true and it only Kumekucha that has shown the kind of courage. I am also a Kenyan journalist with one of the top two, a sub-editor based in Nairobi and feel that you have done more than many can do and will ever do.

    Chris, while I applaud your every effort, there are few journalists in Kenya like you. I think, I am not sure that one of the famous names in this blog belongs to the newspapers in Kenya. I think he is. This is a contested case within the press in Kenya. But I envy his courage. I think you know who I am talking about.

    All editors just feel embarrassed when they talk about him. The only thing is that he is one and only. There is no other like him. I imagine you may be in the picture now. But I just feel that it is bravery no other person will find. The reason is. GOOD and VERY GOOD.

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  20. I have just read the Ngugi piece, as usual its one sided. Does he pose to think this situation could have been different had justice not been subverted by a flawed electoral process. Talk about thinkers???

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  21. In the same vein, did any one of you notice how The Standard and the Nation reported the broke down of talks between ODM and Kibaki by Kufour. The Standard said the gov't hardened its position while The Nation apparently claimed that it was Raila's side that came with unrealistic demands (some of which Raila dropped earlier). However, the Nation somehow 'rectified' its mistakes the next day (today)in a story entitled 'Mystery of deal that Kibaki rejected'. Somehow you get the feelings that there are those good patriotic Kenyans out there who want to say it as it is but mysteriously they never happen to be the leaders.

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  22. Conscious citizens should pressure / demand Kumekucha to host a press watch forum cum blog so as to exposes these flagrant omissions and misreporting in our so called 4th Estate. This crisis presents and opportunity for a total re-examination and dismantling of levers that make a very few people able to hoodwink a whole nation into self implosion while protecting their illicit gains.

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  23. Ngugi is a special case, we can "understand" his stance taking into consideration " safety of his family " as happenned in Nairobi - you can immagine what you are dealing with, it has to be stopped at all costs

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  24. Chris why don't you similarly expose the ODM Standard for what it is and not dwell on one sided commentating to go as far as attacking CEOs of public companies who if their shareholders were not happy with their performance would have them removed at AGMs? Wanyama put it best when he exposed the Standard long before the election for its editors being in bed with ODM. Its now clear who the hecklers were at KICC sitting behind Ruto, Nyagah and Balala so as to cause chaos and pressure Kivuitu. When a mad man is making belligerent statements and constantly blaming othersm other than himself for his own actions, why should he get front page prominence when it is yet another unreliable and insane utterance from him. The buck stops at his desk he should admit responsibility and resign...this is the type of editorial responsibility that should be coming from media houses instead of sensational side shows of he said she said..


    What the ODM has introduced in this election, is a determined effort to decide that any result that does not have them winning both State House and Parliament has been arrived at by a nefarious rigging scheme. This crusade is so determined and nothing it seems is too large a stretch for it. Not content with demonising Steadman the pollsters, they are now determined to paint a picture using some alien logic of a collusion by the media and the all the pollsters to give a low 40s approval figure to Raila Odinga, when he instead should have a 55% backing.

    The media must now point out to Kenyans that the national population dispersion is such that the president may be dominant in only two provinces, but still have a large percentage nationwide. Articles such as Dennis Onyango’s in the Standard or Raila Odinga’s statement that because he was leading in all but two provinces and only just in the national polls, then the opinion polls were definitely biased will only serve to incite the public who cannot be expected to comprehend basic statistics. Statements such as ODM secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o’s assertion that it is impossible to close a five point gap in the approval ratings also fly against reason, especially as earlier in this very year, his party's candidate lagged far behind in the opinion polls. To the innocent mwananchi, already driven into frenzy by the heat and passion of the campaign period, it will be difficult to accept defeat after such rhetoric.

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  25. ROOT CAUSE

    Ordinary mwananchi can also think for themselves they do not need to be driven into " frenzy by heat and passion " - this is not an erotic contest , its a expression of the suffering and the need for change - ordinary wananchi who are in the majority just like you can also think for themselves and want a share of the pie - Shame on you.

    The press should stand up and be counted

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  26. Its good jounalists have started blogging here and true to thier tradition cannot use their real names, good work Kumekucha draw them in and keep up the good work. We still need PRESS WATCH

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  27. Did you see an advertisement completely in Kikuyu language on the Daily Nation a day before the fake results were released.

    Can someone who knows Kikuyu tell me what it was all about.

    Why was it on DN and not on other papers. Is DN an english version of a Kikuyu newspaper? That is
    what I thought that evening.

    Without knowing the contents, I told my friends there would be troble in Kenya the following day.

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  28. Problem is each and every one of us is seen as if s/he is siding with either of the two sides. Maybe it is hard to be impartial. Maybe the 'more right' side has more people fighting for them.

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  29. Chris, trying to divert attention to a Nation media executive will not do you any good. This website is a joke, no wonder people don’t take it serious. To start with:
    • They claim NSIS has invaded their website and that they are watching their every move. Since when did national security pay attention to a bunch of storytellers who have failed to make a decent career in the media fraternity?
    • Then, they claim that someone is about to assassinate Raila and they substantiate it with some information received from a blogger. ODM style, kawaida.
    • Then they claim that nation is pro-PNU through the appointment of a senior executive from the Kibaki community. If this was true? Don’t you think nation could have exposed the corruption scandals within the KIBAKI GOVERNMENT before the elections?
    I am a journalist by profession, and I know very well the people who right articles for NATION MEDIA GROUP , of course I will try and keep this very confidential. In fact one editor is very pro-ODM and some of you might know him. He has a grudge with the management team at the newspaper group and he would like to see some people leave so he could be promoted to a more influential position. He has posted various hysterical propaganda articles claiming or sort of stuff but he’s reputation is quite known; therefore most of his articles are not that credible. Although, I must state that he has talent which he chooses to use in a wrong way. We have been investigating this guy for a while now and it is now that the jiggle saw puzzle is coming together. WATCH THIS SPACE FOR MORE INFO>

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  30. The media's job is/should be to simply report accurately on what is happening without actually taking sides.leaving their readers with the ability to interpret the facts for themselves....by stating either side's(they should report the truth as it is not state what their supporters think about the story) of the story ..the media stands accused and will remain accused.

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  31. Janam, there si a difference between the media and bloggers like phil and chris. the media is doing its job so far, yet i do not disagree more needs to be done.
    What we are advocating, is irrensposible reporting that does not follow media protocols. Inciting violence is one of them. I am only too proud that bloggers will be bloggers. au siyo phil.

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  32. Phil by the way, how would chris feel if you wanted his mandate that bad, to the extent of banning him from kumekucha. Picture it the other way round if you know what i mean.

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  33. The nation could still expose the corruption [they have to be seen doing something] as long as they have warned the Gok and stooges like Dr Mutua [ Bahgdad ... no Nairobi Bob] are given a headstart to cover up.

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  34. You are Anonymous and you are telling us of investigations, what has the world come to

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  35. The interference with the press to project a gvt standpoint was planned way b4 December 2007.

    Just the way GSU where deployed in all provinces but central b4 the election results where announced.Kibaki's men and woman also knew they needed the media on their side to condone or make pple forget about what they did.

    It is therefore not strange that the media does not report what is not favourable to the gvt.Like the death toll of other Kenyans.Reports of GSU torching houses and shoting indiscriminately in coast,nairobi,western,nyanza and some parts of north eastern.

    There was a bus that was stopped by some pple suspected to be mungiki in Naivasha.They killed and performed rituals on the bodies of some of them before setting the bus ablaze 65 pple where killed.The bus was from busia.

    We have been trying to get the media to cover the story but nothing.

    At the moment more than 100 bodies have been discovered in Western.Locals say trucks with government registration dropped of militia there who have been responsible for this.This has also been brought to the attention of the media but nothing.

    In Kisumu the fire that burnt down the local market was started by police officers sent to teach protesters "a lesson".Members of the press where there as police officers waited for pple to come and salvage their material b4 they began shooting indiscriminately.They hardly covered the story.

    In coast where demonstrations against the Kibaki administration have been on a daily basis.They are virtually given a blackout by the media

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  36. So far the plan by the gvt to use the media to confuse Kenyans and draw their attention away from what caused this mayhem in the first place has worked.

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  37. I'll reluctanly disagree with the author of the post and commend the Kenyan media for its restraint. In the Congo, the press is owned by different political parties and press freedom is oftentimes synonymous of libel and sedition. And wherever a particular press organ is asked to substantiate the unfounded allegations contained in its publications, the interested party then claim there's no freedom of the press and the country is on the brink of reverting to the repression of free expression under Mobutu...

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  38. Jaindi Kisero is an ODM sympathiser and everybody knows it within the Nation. jaindi Kisero was once sacked for allegedly soliciting a bribe, only to be reinstated back in 2000. Please stop beating about the bush. Tha man in question is Jaindi Kisero and everybody knows that he is not credible within the media fraternirty. Whta name do you give to a man who solicits bribes from news sources and he is a whole editor, married to two wives and always with the Raila Odinga team.

    Jaindi Kisero is the ODM nole in the Nation as it Kwendo Opanga, who was the MC in Raila Odinga's daughter's wedding.

    Stop beating about the bush. Call a spade a spade. The only journalist not corruptible is Chris and only because they have not laid their hands on him.

    Otherwise, all Managing Editors or Editorial Directors (Chris' rank in Kumekucha) are all aligned to certain political parties, Wangethi Mwangi (PNU) and Kwendo Opanga (ODM). Both are sex rats and all of them have records that we know. Nation Insider. READ THIS SPACE!!

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  39. Sam Okello? Paging SAM OKEllo. Sam okello for the president 2012.

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  40. Sam Okello cannot even become a councillor leave alone president.

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  41. Guys, I have checked the blog this morning and noticed that there are other journalists like me that are suffering in silence. I think the perception that Standard is pro ODM is totally misplaced. I work for that media house in I&M building, and anybody who cares to look at the facts should know that Standard, KTN, Nation, NTV, Citizen etc are ALL Pro Kibaki.
    Data from Strategic PR and Steadman clearly show that Kibaki got most positive coverage from Standard and KTN. I shall not go to the details of why it is so.
    Standard was only truely anti Kibaki during the tenure of Makali David. At that time, no stone could be left unturned. I remember the time in 2003 when guys from NSIS came to try convince him to drop the story about "Kibaki's Second Wife Speaks".NSIS even offered a story on the MPs caught in K Street just to compensate for the Kibaki one. The guy told those chaps off and published the story about Kibaki's secret wife. Those were good old days that Kenyans could read the truth. Unfortunately, now the media is just playing games with people's minds.
    Moi is determined to wipe off any person that appears independent minded from his media house. (Moi owns 70 per cent of Standard and KTN.
    On Monday, he sacked Chris Kisire, the Finance Director. Kisire has been the one protecting the independence of the newsroom from being purely a Kibaki media centre.
    Moi has issued instructions that all ODM leaning editors and reporters be shown the door.
    on the request that I publish the figures, those of you that were glued to your TVs remember that by 4 pm Sato, KTN had Raila on 4.2 million and Kibaki 3.6 million and the number of constituencies was 190. These figure included the stations that Kivuitu was claiming that the returning officers has switched off their phones. The total number of votes in the remaining 20 constituencies could not tally to 600, even if Kibaki got 100 per cent. Instead of declaring Raila the winner, the big shots in KTN were instructed to wait for ECK to "provide the correct figures." KTN even had the clip from Juja where the Returning officer declared that Kibaki had 50 something thao votes. Those of you that recorded the announcement can go check the exact figure. Kivuitu unashamedly announced that Kibaki got 103 thao> Even Kabogo could not hide his astonishment.
    As a responsible media house, the Question is why didn't KTN come out in the open and explain to the world how they got their figures? Why didn't KTN challenge ECK with the hard evidence they had on Juja and several other stations.
    Why didn't KTN tell the public how reporters were thrown out in Kieni, Limuru and Maragua, among other places in Central Kenya, together with observers during the tallying process.
    By hiding the information, KTN Standard, and other Media Houses are to blame just like Kivuitu, in this game being played by a few people in Statehouse that feel that Kenyans are imbeciles.
    Any right thinking Kenyan should smell a rat and put aside tribal and political leaning and fight to get back our country.
    I personally supported Kibaki's re election bid for some time. In fact I did some part time work for some of my PNU friends, but the actions of a few selfish Kenyans should not get the endorsement of all right thinking Kenyans.
    We should be able to think beyond our ethnic cocoons and join other sober minded Kenyans like Maina Kiai, Muthoni Wanyeki etc to demand for justice.
    Those that are celebrating should know that, should things remain as they are, these few selfish Kenyans will burn the whole country, Kikuyu, Luo, Kalenjin, Kamba etc.
    Its about our country, not our tribe.
    The media is part of the problem, and I rest my case.

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  42. Blessed, you are right my friend. Very right. The problem is that ODM Media Team was connected with people with very close contacts to Kwendo Opanga. ODM's vero own Oscar Obonyo works for the Standard and so is Dennis Onyango. there are many connections between Kwendo and the ODM team.

    Musalia Mudavadi, his mate at YK92, Willaim Ruto, another mate at YK92, Raila Odinga and their personal friendship and many more.

    Blessed as you say, we in the media are expecting a tsunami and it might have started with Kisire. Some at the Nation are also on their way out and this will not spared even the sacred crows.

    To say the least, Nation performed poorly at these elections and Standard did their best to feel that gap. Who is naming Jaindi Kisero here?

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  43. Chris pole sana,
    I know Raila had promised you a job as the head of his presidential press service. Please look for another job as kenyans are tired of your propaganda. i understand your bitterness but thats life.

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  44. The standard might want to crate a perception that it is pro ODM but the facts are very different.

    If you remember ODM were quoting the standard and Kass FM election results and anything Kivuitu said was deemed cooked.

    The Standard and Kass FM played a big roll in the election violence.

    To me The standarad took the title newspaper Rwanda and KASS FM took Radio Rwanda title.

    Kibaki is a fair president up to two weeks back.

    Now everyone deserves what is coming to them.

    Remember that GEMA plus Kamaba and the Kisii and a few others will be more than 60% of the votes. SO whoever wins Kibaki's succession battle will win with a landslide.

    If you think NSIS is sleeping you need to wake up.

    Right now Kibaki is treating ODM with kids gloves, the looters and protesters are being washed with water instead of bullets and rungus.

    If I was ODM or one of there supporters I would start making bridges.
    That is why everyone knows that ODM Mps will cross the floor like wild beast of the seventh wonder of the Mara.

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  45. Anon above,

    Its shocking that you and some of your tribesman are still continuing in the attitude and the selfishness and greed that culminated in the disaster that is Kenya today. Can u see,hear or learn nothing?

    Does anyone wonder that the only language these people can understand is protests?

    At this point ur still seeing it as a battle for Kikuyu supremacy.....And then u wonder when people dont want you.

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  46. We are talking about the press. JAINDI KISERO is an EXTORTIONIST of the highest order. JAINDI must go now!

    Yours faithfully
    Nation Insider

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  47. Why is it OK for others to say certain things while if people from Gema say anything we are called supremacist and the like?

    What I have stated is reality.

    We will never forget the women and children who were roasted alive by the ODM goons. We will never forget the women and children who were sodomised in the narrow alleys of Kibera slums.

    We were down but we were not out. It is through Gods grace that not a lot of us were killed.

    The standard still takes the "Newspaper Rwanda" title and Kass FM takes the Radio Rwanda Title.

    We are full of anger and boiling nearly to the point of no return.
    2 year Old children do not vote so there was no need of killing them.

    The people who were hacked and roasted had no chance of rigging even if they had the chance they would not know how to. So to kill people just because they belong to the winning Presidents tribe is a despicable to say the list.

    One day we shall overcome.

    One day the Army the GSU and the NSIS will be full of Kamba, Kisii and Gema.
    Only then we will have stability and certainty.

    Meanwhile genocide charges are being investigated by the UN.

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  48. I always wonder it is only in Kenya that a few people will have an issue with you on what name you have given your child, and who attended your son/daughter's wedding or even funeral....
    It is only in Kenya that people will know who support by asking what tribe you are... and i also think it is in Kenya that people will want to know ur two names just for the sole purpose of knowing where you come from....And it is only in Kenya that you will find a kikuyu pastor praying for peace and a luo pastor praying for justice!!!

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  49. Chris,
    Compare Standard's headline on Fri the 11th "3 DAYS OF MASS ACTION" (font must have been 60 or so) with Nation's "Can Anan Save Kenya?".
    Standard has been pro-ODM, it is very easy to predict their headings based on the news last evening.
    So be balanced.

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