By Davis Mwandawiro
Kenyans on social media woke up to a CNN report today morning that referred to Kenya as a hotbed of terror. This report coming in just before President Obama’s arrival rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. US President Obama will be in Kenya over the weekend where he is scheduled to co-host the (GES) Global Entrepreneurship Summit with President Uhuru Kenyatta. CNN also tweeted
President @BarackObama isn’t just heading to his father’s homeland, but to a hotbed of terror: http://t.co/OkTE671wfe pic.twitter.com/ZnrhE8yFzy
— CNN (@CNN) July 23, 2015
This is Obama’s first visit to his ancestral homeland as president and the first ever visit of any sitting US president. According to CNN, they believe that Al-Shabaab militants are posing new threats to his arrival and may be prompted to conduct an attack. This follows after US military conducted air strikes in Somalia. However, reports from the US officials indicate that the militant group cannot get anywhere near the president but may attempt to hit a soft target while Obama is in Kenya.
This is not the first time that Kenyans have disagreed with CNN reports and have used the hashtag #someonetellCNN 4 or 5 times in the last three years to protest what they deem as unfair coverage given to Kenya on CNN.
CNN is just about to get schooled this morning…. #SomeoneTellCNN pic.twitter.com/USy30S62JH
— mmnjug™ (@mmnjug) July 23, 2015
#SomeoneTellCNN I don’t get why international journalists always report negative things about Africa. Africa is NOT what you think! — X-tian Dela (@xtiandela) July 23, 2015
Kenya is a peaceful country that’s why Obama is coming… Terrorism is a worldwide problem #SomeoneTellCNN — ReaLBaDST (@ItsDzombo) July 23, 2015
CNN instead of being in the forefront against terror, ur instigating baseless fears. Show some professionalism! #SomeoneTellCNN
— _SLOAKY_ (@jesse_ogola) July 23, 2015
Nonetheless, some decided to grab the opportunity to showcase Kenya’s beauty on social media using the same hashtag. To show the other side of Kenya that CNN missed in their report.
#SomeoneTellCNN ,this is what we understand by “terror hotbed ” pic.twitter.com/gn3cb5vcMN — Maryanne (@TheRoyalLoyal) July 23, 2015
#MagicalKenya tweetpic magical stuff around you #SomeoneTellCNN #254Rocks @Kiss100Kenya @POTUS #Kenyasnewkiss #TMK pic.twitter.com/TwhC6CoRrf
— Shaffie Weru (@ShaffieWeru) July 23, 2015
#SomeoneTellCNN that Kenya is a blessed land and is the cradle of mankind. #MagicalKenya #GES2015Kenya #KaribuKenya pic.twitter.com/YH9IP6Jzgz
— Mike Sonko (@MikeSonko) July 23, 2015
#SomeoneTellCNN that the terror hotbed @cnn referred to turns out to be a different kind of paradise. pic.twitter.com/XnrsRBNGJ6
— Raia Sugu (@RaiaSugu) July 23, 2015
Some took it upon themselves to remind CNN of the problems that America facing such as shootings, racial injustice among others.
In the same vein, Obama leaves hotbed of racial injustice… #SOMEONETELLCNN pic.twitter.com/XR0Ncd1RTS
— Mugendi Nyagah (@mougendi) July 23, 2015
#SomeoneTellCNN that there more killings in one day in NYC than the whole year in Nairobi, and our Police don’t kill blacks for sport!
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DBK017) July 23, 2015
#SomeoneTellCNN If you have to do negative stories start with your own pic.twitter.com/1OK06XZeiD
— Joe Ndungu (@AnchoredCloud) July 23, 2015
What do you have to say to CNN?
