CNN faces social media backlash for calling Kenya 'terror hotbed'

In a segment on CNN’s news show Erin Burnett UPFRONT, stand-in host Kate Bolduan introduced a segment using the line ".....and now security concerns for President Obama on the eve of his trip to one of the most dangerous countries in the world." PHOTO | CORRESPONDENT |

What you need to know:

  • The interview came after the White House downplayed media concerns over President Barack Obama’s security in Kenya.
  • She said that the breach was serious considering the fact that the document was also posted on Facebook.

International news channel CNN aroused social media outrage after airing a story that referred to Kenya as a “terror hotbed”.

Kenyans took to social media using the hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN to protest against the news channel.

The backlash followed an interview aired by the broadcaster referring to the country as a state with “questionable security concerns worse than Iraq and Afghanistan”.

During a segment on CNN’s news show "Erin Burnett OutFront", stand-in host Kate Bolduan introduced using the line ".....and now security concerns for President Obama on the eve of his trip to one of the most dangerous countries in the world."

The interview came after the White House downplayed media concerns over President Barack Obama’s security in Kenya after an apparent security breach by a Kenya Airways official.

She discussed the security breach as a copy of a document sent by the KQ official to the JKIA and Wilson airports was displayed on the screen.

She said that the breach was serious considering the fact that the document was also posted on Facebook.

After the interview, the broadcaster reported on its website that “President Barack Obama is not just heading to his father’s homeland, but to a hotbed of terror. Al-Shabaab militants in East Africa are now posing new worries for the President’s trip to Kenya this week”.

BREACH

Whilst White House national security adviser Susan Rice had said the breach would in no way affect US approach and plans.

Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the situation with Kenya is different from that of Iraq and Afghanistan where the president has to go unannounced.

On Twitter, the hashtag #SomeoneTellCNN was trending Thursday.

Here are some of the comments:

‏@skaranja7: "Terror hotbeds are locations POTUS sneaks (into) to motivate troops. KE visit was announced months ago. His limo fueled in my hood."

‏@Atusiimirwe_: "from Kampala, Uganda @CNN you had better scroll through the insults in #SomeoneTellCNN. Know your stakes!"

‏@prettyMarshall: "Kenyans are angry #kot"

@OliverCheruiyot: "We are a Tourism hot bed. We don't brag about it by the way."

@rickshakur: "#SomeoneTellCNN that KDF is winning the war against Al Shabaab where US army failed years ago!!"

‏@paulinemasese: "rather ask CNN if they confirmed with Aljazeera or @least the state broadcaster"

‏@mutole: "#SomeoneTellCNN that Alshabab is a small boy business here, political finance is the catch there and govt is the supreme liar where. Well. This ... is not the first time for the broadcaster to refer to Kenya as a ‘hotbed of terror’."