CNN steps up charm offensive with Sh5 trillion Kenya infrastructure projects story

Road construction in progress. CNN on Tuesday carried a pictorial highlighting key ongoing projects of the Jubilee government. PHOTO | FILE 

By STELLAR MURUMBA

The Cable News Network (CNN) this week continued on its charm offensive aimed at appeasing the Kenya government after a row last year triggered by a story aired just before the visit of US president Barack Obama.

The broadcaster on Tuesday carried a pictorial dubbed “Kenya’s megaprojects: What can $50 billion do for a country?”, highlighting key ongoing projects of the Jubilee government.

Written by Kieron Monks, the network’s feature’s writer, this write-up was not part of the paid deal with the Kenya Government.

“That was just me,” said Mr Monks when we reached him to verify if the pictorial was part of the advertising deal with CNN to market Kenya abroad.

The story showcased 13 different images of projects that upon completion could have a major impact on the economy.

In July the CNN aired a report portraying Kenya as a “hotbed of terror” in the build-up to President Obama’s visit.

The programme raised an uproar, with Kenyans taking to social media with angry outbursts over the “misrepresentation on the country’s security status.”

This was later followed by the government’s suspension of a Sh100 million marketing communication deal with the America-based network.

The ban has since been lifted after Tony Maddox, CNN’s global executive vice president and managing director, flew to Nairobi to personally deliver an apology to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

READ: CNN boss flies to Nairobi to apologise over terrorism slur

Some narrative adverts and above-the-line TV campaigns are already running on CNN’s platforms.

Mr Kenyatta said during the American president’s visit that Kenya is rather a “hotbed of vibrant culture, spectacular natural beauty, and infinite possibility.”

“Let the world hear a simple message: the narrative of African despair and indignity is false — indeed, it was never true. Mr President and to all of you gathered here, today let that narrative change... When you go home and as you travel around the world, tell those whom you meet about what you have seen in Kenya.”

The Kenyan government hopes to deliver the first African “Silicon Savannah” as part of the country’s development programme covering the period 2008 to 2030 called the Kenya Vision 2030.

The CNN picture slide has images of some of Kenya’s transport, energy and technology projects, the standard gauge railway, Mombasa rail station, and Voi railway station.