Editor,

THIS IS undoubtedly a lovely piece. I like the fact the author started off with a topic I bet was unknown to most Rwandans. So good. As you can imagine, next thing I googled was Makueni. You’re right in the sense that we need to get more local news about East Africa, but on the other hand, you’re wrong about cutting down information on far off places.

Like it or not, the world is no longer about geographical proximity but a global kind of settlement. News there will likely affect events here. It is not a prerequisite for the media to promote regionalism. Much as it is a good initiative, media houses are firstly about getting the stuff that appeals.

That is why Nelson Mandela’s health, or the Egyptian violence will be reported over and over in East Africa and not the important things like the grenade blast in Nyabugogo that you pointed out.

If anything, it is the role of the East African Secretariat, and not us the individuals or independent media houses, to set up TVs, radios, and Internet sites that report current issues of the region. If the work isn’t being done well, then it’s them to blame.

IRM, KigaliRwanda

Reaction to the story, "We won’t know about Burundi until we ignore Egypt”, (Sunday Times, July 28)