A Pan-African TV station is well over due

Two years ago, the African Union marked its jubilee celebration with renewed vigor. As it unveiled its blueprint to guide its mission for the next 50 years, there were also fresh calls for better integration among its people.  But with all its vigor, the continent’s most influential organization failed to realize that it lacked a vehicle to drive its agenda to the one billion people it represents.  Africa lacked a continental homegrown TV station.

Africa is no longer on the fringe of the world stage. Today, six of the 10 fastest growing economies worldwide are on the continent. And if you are not a cynic of modern science, the entire human race has its origin in Africa.

But all that glamour aside, who is telling the real African story to millions of Africans? Who is reviewing the history books to remind us of the continent’s forgotten heroes such as Zambia’s Makuko Nkoloso, Burkina Faso’s revolutionary leader Thomas Sankara, Kwame Nkurumah of Ghana among others? Who is digging deeper to put Africa’s history into perspective and help us understand how our current challenges are influenced, partly, by our past? Besides a few lone rangers such as the late Muammar Gaddafi and Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is telling us why our continent needs closer economic, social, cultural and political ties? Lone rangers, however passionate, cannot single- handedly influence an African renaissance. There is need for an African owned media house.

The power of the press in influencing public opinion cannot be underestimated. For centuries, the media has aided in triggering revolutions, swaying general elections and driving   countries into the verge of civil wars. Twenty years after the Rwandan genocide, political    analysts are still convinced that the media paid a big role in stirring up ethnic hatred that caused the death of nearly one million people.  Elsewhere in 1992, the UK’s most popular tabloid (both in readership and distribution) was believed to have handed the Conservatives a narrow victory over the Labour party. On the eve of the then general election, The Sun newspaper headline read “If Kinnock wins today will the last person to leave Britain please turn out the lights." A day after the tory win, the paper’s self-serving headline was “It was The Sun Wot Won It”.

The appeal for an African owned TV station does not come from a place of radical Pan-Africanism bent on portraying the continent as a utopia.  Neither is it intended to completely counter existing global news corporations that have been camping in Africa for decades telling the continent’s story. To their credit, these corporations have lately been covering a few positive stories - a far cry from days when they only portrayed Africa as diseased, war ravaged and poverty ridden.  This became particularly evident following the entry of Al Jazeera and CCTV into the continent.

Critics may scoff at the idea of a Pan African TV station. They may even question how it would compete in a market dominated by well-established and powerful corporations in a continent with a huge appetite for foreign content. But these fears are baseless. When one of Kenya’s leading TV station-Citizen news- made a deliberate choice to shift their programming from a predominantly foreign based content in favour of local programs, the support from their viewers was overwhelming. Other TV stations had to follow suit to remain relevant. The success of the Nollywood film industry is also  another pointer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What the South should really learn from the two world wars

Countries in part of the Northern Hemisphere recently celebrated a truly remarkable milestone earlier this month- the absence of war in a cool uninterrupted seven whole decades.  It is really difficult to visualize the calm, highly organized and prosperous Western Europe we know today as war ravaged and distressed. But that was the scene just 70 odd years ago in the course of the second war that claimed the lives of an estimated 50-80 million people.  A previous war (the first war world of 1914 to 1918) had caused the death of an estimated 17 million people.

Unfortunately, the same success cannot be said of Southern countries.  This region continues to struggle under the weight of sectarian, tribal and civil strife in many fronts across Asia, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. New protracted conflicts continue to emerge when dust has barely settled on old ones. The outcome has been an unprecedented humanitarian crisis with many civilian deaths and millions of people displaced.

Southern countries have been fixated with their Northern counterparts for probably centuries now.  As a matter of fact, most of the South measures it achievements on its ability to adopt to Western Civilization models to a tee-including the allures of capitalism, globalization, democracy and the like. Those who defy this model are often considered pariah states. But for all their intrigues with the North, the South has been incapable and/or unwilling to commit to cessation of internal hostilities like their counterparts did 70 years ago.

Generally speaking, the North lacks a favorable environment linked to conflicts in the South. The region is largely culturally and ethnically homogenous, incredibly wealthy and therefore able to provide safety nets to their populations who fall on hard times.

But the North did not suddenly cease craving for wars after emerging scared from the two conflicts. To this day it appears that the region still holds a romanticized notion of war -what with its numerous foreign invasions of sovereign states to change regimes or what not.  But they ultimately grew smarter.  Never again would they allow large scale bloodshed on their soils. Never again would they invade neigbouring countries. The logic was simple-rebuild their States to spar growth and ensure prosperity for all. They realized this was not feasible if they were in a spate of perpetual   conflict.

It would be naïve to suggest that Northern countries are utopias. They too have social ills associated with the South including, racial and religious tension, crime and many more. The much touted capitalist system also bleeds greed, inequality and creates discontent among its populations. But the disgruntled often show their displeasure through demonstrations, a few burnt tyres, broken windows and the like. Widespread killings on targeted groups like you see in the South are unheard of. 

As much as most in the South like to ridicule the West for their skewed democracies, double standards, advancing causes that are not sustainable to human development and the environment, no one can fault their ability to guard their countries from conflict. On matters relating to internal cohesion, the North has triumphed, with flying colours. This is the trend the South should be striving to adopt from the North. There is no moral reason why we should not silence our guns like the North did just over seven decades ago.

 

 

Government’s best efforts may not halt further terrorist attacks

Kenyans reaction to the the Garissa attack was a little unusual. Beyond the pain, the anger and the disbelief, there was a sense of open defiance and also resignation.

Perhaps Kenyans had finally woken up to the reality that terrorism has always plagued this nation right from Jomo Kenyatta’s presidency to the present day regime. Of course, there are variances between the attacks of 40 years ago and the current offensives including: the frequency, masterminds of the attacks and grounds for the attacks.  Until half a decade ago, the country was a target for its perceived close loyalty to the West and Israel. Back in 1980, at least 20 people were killed in a bombing the ripped through Norfolk Hotel. The attack was largely blamed on Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) which later denied responsibility.

The alleged motive for attacks has now changed. Our perceived loyalty to the West has cleared thawed in the last decade. So the enemy has adopted a new spin to massacre innocent people-the presence of Kenya’s troops in Somalia. You will recall Al Shabaab was attacking Kenya even before the country sent boots on the ground.

The government’s best efforts may not necessarily shield us from further terrorist attacks. Many have argued that weak government structures which fuel corruption and lead to inadequate intelligence gathering and poor surveillance are some of the reasons Kenya is often a target. While some of these weaknesses could be contributing factors that are affecting the country’s resolve to fight terror, the threat we face cannot be oversimplified. Al Shabaab is no longer a rag tag militia group creating havoc in South Central Somalia and occasional hit and runs attacks on Kenya. The group has now evolved into a homegrown insurgency that is deeply embedded in communities within us (and beyond) and is well funded. Kenya’s geography and demography has also created a perfect breeding ground for the group.

If we are brave enough to look at the situation from a broader context-devoid of emotions and blame games- we will recognize that insurgent groups (as witnessed in other parts of the world) are always protracted and never lack in tenacity. Nigeria is still reeling from the murderous Boko Haram insurgency, England suffered over three decades of bombings under the IRA, Russia is still battling with terrorism decades later, India has had its fair share of bombings just to name a few stable and well respected countries. Not to forget the worst terrorist attack in modern history where over 3,000 people lost their lives in United States (arguably one of the most surveilled states in the world) just over a decade ago. As long as we have terror groups, as long as young people continue to be radicalized, Kenya and the free world will always be a threat.

 This is not to absolve the government of Uhuruto from blame and responsibility. The populace expects absolute security and nothing less-rightly so.  Once you are sworn in as the head of State, hard questions will be asked, expectations will be high or even unrealistic. It’s just the way the cookie crumbles.

The rise of unregulated gutter press is changing our media landscape

The turn of the 21^st century saw a new awakening in Kenya. A new democratic government was ushered in, which in turn allowed an unprecedented freedom of speech. The new found free speech brought with it a vibrant media space- numerous TV/radio stations and a rise in tabloid newspapers.

While the rise of tabloids was not unexpected in our new found free media, few could foresee the number of unregulated gutter press that would emerge in the process. The unregulated press was further fueled by the increase of internet penetration particularly social media –which acts as a clear catalyst for its growth and survival.

Unregulated gutter press is making a significant mark. Thanks to their sensationalized headlines, they are attracting a huge following cutting across social class and it would appear academic achievement. Traditionally, in most parts of the world, gutter press generally attracts the working class and less educated section of society. While it largely rings true here in Kenya, sections of non-traditional clientele (the middle class and higher education holders) are buying into the gutter press market. No one can refute that some of their reports hold some truths, however,  there is no denying that their news stories are poorly researched, poorly written, and beyond the catchy headline, have little else to report on.

The middle class may not be deliberately buying into this market. The authors of gutter press have established an aggressive social media campaign. Most of the news stories are forced down your throat, they are everywhere, every time. To the horror of those who have a strong dislike for them, the brutal truth is that you cannot avoid them-you find them on your feeds, they jump on your page if your facebook friends click the like button. They just won’t go away. They are like an annoying mosquito buzzing crazily which refuses to go away.

Could the rise of unregulated gutter press be changing our media landscape? Could they be fueling the declining standard of our once somewhat balanced and respected media outlets?  For a while now, Kenya’s mainstream media outlets have become sensationalized.  So much so a section of the public were secretly celebrating the recent digital migration standoff period between the government and some members of the fourth estate citing negative reporting particularly while reporting on the  political arena. While drama and intrigues may appeal to some, most Kenyans are unimpressed. The trend is not unique to TV stations, our major ‘broadsheets’ are sadly adopting a tabloid tone. A while ago, one of the most popular daily (both in readership and distribution) had this headline in the front page “Wanted: White husband, blacks please keep off’ prompting one reader to pose whether the paper’s editors had gone on leave. Clearly, this would have appealed to a tabloid or the gutter press target market. Why did it appear in a major ‘broadsheet’?  

No one is calling for the exclusion of the gutter press, love or loath them, they have a huge market and create much needed jobs in a country struggling with youth unemployment. However, there is clearly a major gap in the market for a serious daily-better still, an elitist broadsheet that will balance the market which is currently struggling under the weight of the gutter press.

Njoki'sviews: Celebrating our Political Class for a job well don...

Njoki'sviews: Celebrating our Political Class for a job well don...: We rarely give credit to our beloved political class. We have become so accustomed to nit-picking the actions of our honorable members t...

Celebrating our Political Class for a job well done

We rarely give credit to our beloved political class. We have become so accustomed to nit-picking the actions of our honorable members that we no longer pause and appreciate their good deeds.

In the wake of the 2013 general election, we went in an unwarranted rampage against our cherished members of parliamnet after they decided to increase their perks and showed a lot reservation in paying taxes.  How could an already overpaid lot (some of the best paid in both the developing and developed world) unanimously pass a legislation to increase their salaries in a country where a section of the population struggles to put food on the table?-we pondered. But of course they were justified- they were quick to inform us- their clueless commoners. What with such a demanding electorate that lay claim to their salaries by demanding their hard earned cash with the excuse of offsetting hospital bills for  their sick relatives and the tired story of taking  their poor children to school.

First forward to 2015 and we are expressing some sort of outrage that a section of the legislature is embroiled in graft. We appeared mortified to learn that the arm of government tasked with keeping graft at bay and keeping the executive on toes has been caught red handed with their fingers in the candy jar. Of course our outrage is outrage is a knee-jerk reaction. If we are really honest with ourselves, the clear obsession of some parliamentarians to scrutinize nearly all key flagship projects (even the ones which appeared beyond reproach) among them the Standard Gauge Railway should have been a clear pointer that not all was well with our legislature.

But enough with the whining. Our political class really does deserve some credit this time round. Late last year and as recent as last week, we have witnessed blows being exchanged, trousers  ripped apart, necks wringed-and  all captured by glaring cameras, right at the heart  of both the national and county assemblies. Why is this commendable? Admittedly, it was a bit of a shocker, it is not common to see an elite class trading blows in a civilized society. But after the initial shock, we ought to realize or at least hope that the tide is somehow turning. We may now be moving from an era where politicians no longer feel the need settle personal and political goals by inciting the electorate along tribal divide. As it appears, our elites seem to have learnt that their personal and political battles should be settled where they emanate – with themselves!

We should hope that they will can keep trading blows in parliament, perhaps that way, they will have less energy for their tribal tirades which can only mean a more prosperous and peaceful Kenya.

 

Is it time to abolish the death penalty in Kenya?

The death penalty is murder wrapped up in euphemism to appear more palatable to the masses. We merely find it less chilling and somehow acceptable because it is committed by the state, for justice-as we purport. But whichever way we look at it, it is murder.

In the last few weeks, the judiciary has gone on an overdrive in handing down capital punishment to individuals charged with committing some of the most horrific and unimaginable crimes in our society. In one such ruling, a 30 year old man was sentenced to death for killing his four month old step daughter. In a similar case, a 63 year old man was given the death sentence after defiling and killing his daughter in Kiambu. Undeniably, these are horrid crimes deserving the toughest of penalties.

But can we ever really justify the death penalty? What does it achieve? Who is the winner here? For the family of the victims, there may be closure, or perhaps not. After all, it does not bring their loved ones back. We may argue that perpetrators are paying for their crimes and getting what they deserve. But isn’t sending them to the hang man handing them a free and quick pass to the afterlife?  Is this not somehow allowing them to escape from their crimes? A life sentence seems more appropriate- another life is saved while at the same time we give perpetrators the space to live with their actions till their dying day.

Clearly, capital punishment does not act as a deterrent. Human beings, globally, are inherently wicked. Even in countries (such as China, Iran, Iraq, the USA among others) where executions are the norm, heinous crimes continue to be committed.

Kenya has had a coy approach to capital punishment. While the death penalty remained firmly engraved within our laws following the promulgation of a new constitution in 2010, Kenya still remains a de facto abolitionist state. Not a single person has been executed for nearly two decades. The last man was hanged in 1987 following the 1982 failed coup. Quite frankly our country lacks the political will to maintain capital punishment and has even toyed with the idea of abolishing all together. In 2009, the former president Mwai Kibaki, announced that he was commuting the death sentences of an estimated 4,000 people to life imprisonment. But perhaps the most important argument is the fact that capital punishment lacks the people’s will.  We don’t appear to desire it. Kenya prides itself for having one of the most progressive constitutions in the world- why then can’t we just abolish this retrogressive and outdated law?

 

Njoki Mwangi