The foreign reporters came to Kenya to cover
the General Elections and are expecting violence like 2007/2008 but Kenyans
have maintained peace throughout the electioneering period.
Yesterday, CNN which has sent numerous reporters posted a
story about Kenyans preparing for violence somewhere in Rift Valley and even
posted a video clip with three people armed with crude weapons and rolling on
the ground.
The Kenyan Government ordered CNN to give evidence of where
the clip was taken from but the media house pulled down the clip from its
website and even issued an official apology to Kenyans. They however maintained
that the clip was not stage managed as previously alleged.
Below is the apology statement from CNN:
"CNN
absolutely denies any allegation that our correspondent Nima Elbagir’s report
on militia in Kenya’s Rift Valley was in any way ‘stage managed’.
"Given that the potential threat of violence around the election has been well documented by Human Rights Watch and the Kenyan Police it was entirely appropriate that the actions of local Kikuyu militia were scrutinised. We stand by our decision to report this story and have taken great care to place it in context. We will not reveal our sources on this or any story and strongly resist any attempt to force us to do so.
"We will continue with balanced and accurate reporting of these important elections. This coverage has directly referenced peace rallies in Kenya and includes interviews with Kenyan political figures and satirists, a look at the hopes of Kenyan children for the future, a view of political street art, and several other pieces - on TV and online - that illustrate all sides of the election picture."
"Given that the potential threat of violence around the election has been well documented by Human Rights Watch and the Kenyan Police it was entirely appropriate that the actions of local Kikuyu militia were scrutinised. We stand by our decision to report this story and have taken great care to place it in context. We will not reveal our sources on this or any story and strongly resist any attempt to force us to do so.
"We will continue with balanced and accurate reporting of these important elections. This coverage has directly referenced peace rallies in Kenya and includes interviews with Kenyan political figures and satirists, a look at the hopes of Kenyan children for the future, a view of political street art, and several other pieces - on TV and online - that illustrate all sides of the election picture."
Courtesy of Daily Post

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