During a recent “Candid Africa” discussion, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta stated that he no longer watches Western media. He argued that the West adds to the negative perception of Africa by only reporting on the bad news. Media outlets like CNN, Sky News, BBC, and others will also report on African affairs without being on location.

“They are talking about something that has happened in Rwanda, in South Sudan, in Ethiopia, in Somalia, and even as far away as Nigeria, on the other side of the continent. And then when the guy is signing off, this is John White reporting from Nairobi, Kenya.”

President Kenyatta urges Western media to respect Africa’s true unity and understand that each respective country is unique in its own way.

As a Westerner who overstands the President’s frustration regarding the media’s bias and bad optics, I would still like to pose a question: what do you expect?

Do you expect them to highlight all of the riches on the continent but use that as justification to extract resources (masked as lending aid)? Because that would just be a contradiction, and it would make the West look like the problem instead of the saviors.

President Kenyatta, I want to encourage you and the rest of the leadership in Africa to start processing idiot logic a little faster and fund your own media to counter the West. Because it’s embarrassing that those of you in power behave like adolescents without a clue.

Until Next Time…

(Sources)

Photo Credit: W

Abera, B. (2021, November 17). President Uhuru Kenyatta Reasons for Disinterest on Western Media News. W. Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://waltainfo.com/president-uhuru-kenyatta-reasons-for-disinterest-on-western-media-news/. 

Western Media Are Covering Only Negative Aspects Of Africa: Kenyan President. 45. (2021, November 17). Retrieved November 18, 2021, from https://www.fanabc.com/english/western-media-are-covering-only-negative-aspects-of-africa-kenyan-president/.