No amount of manipulation will make Rwanda bend

The last couple of weeks have really brought out the worst in the mainstream western media. First, it was their onslaught at the run-up to the elections in Rwanda where they outdid each other demonising Rwanda’s political leadership and system.As if that was not enough, they started copy-pasting each other’s stories using the same distorted human rights reports that were doing the rounds. But Rwanda has become acclimatised to such; it went ahead, voted and her choice won the day, much to the dismay of many sections of the western media and some of their African satellite agencies.Just this week, the editorial board of the New York Times joined forces and came out with yet another patronising misinterpretation of what Rwandans want. They are so hurt to the extent of usurping Rwandans’ perceived grief and taken it for themselves.Now the attention has shifted to Kenya, with reports of non-existent violence. In fact, they were fanning and yearning for it. No photo can explain it better than that of a dozen or so western journalists camped on the streets of one of Nairobi’s volatile neighbourhoods.They looked so dejected and disappointed that nothing was happening; there was no bloodletting, looting or stone throwing. There were no running battles with the police. True, Kenyan politics have proven to be explosive in the past, but why not wait until the lid comes off the prevailing calm before alluding to violence?There is a lot of fear in some camps, a fear that Rwanda’s independent and successful policies will be replicated elsewhere on the African continent. The former puppet masters are running around scared that their former hold on many countries was slipping away. So be it.

Opinions

No amount of manipulation will make Rwanda bend