Trepidation At KSB As Comments Degenerate
This piece appeared here on 26th January 2009 and has just been recycled because of its relevance:
There is a general sense of disappointment at KSB because after opening the comment section for KSB readers to air their views on various topics, our worst fears have been confirmed – that the move could lead to a gradual degeneration of comments to an extent that readers will be treated to degrading and below the belt presentations that will serve more to wreck other than build unity between the Kenyan community in Stockholm.
Since the comment section was opened, very respected members of Kenya-Stockholm who have been unlucky to fall on the negative end of the news have had their characters assassinated with some of the most powerful vitriol while others have had their reputations destroyed, probably beyond repair.
We at KSB had to stand by helplessly as Kenyans took one another by the horns, digging the filthiest of dirt linked to opponents and casting them here in the name of comments.
During the opening stages of the comments, some individuals like Hellen Awuor (mother Chentelle), Bryan Arua, Clay Onyango, Antony Adiwa and Antony Odera became major casualties of heavy bombardment from opponents who took advantage of negative aspects of the news that covered them to show them dust.
There are others who were not named but who could easily be identified following the explosion of certain scandals at KSB. These Kenyans suffered the wrath of commentators with the same, if not worse effect than that of their colleagues who were named.
We have in mind both the blogger who had an altercation with his ex and the “Chairman” who had a similar encounter with his wife. In both cases, police were called in to intervene and the suspects were taken into custody before being released.
While we don’t support the actions of the above Kenyans that may have exposed them to attacks, and while we appreciate the fact that there were very constructive comments that were rendered by mature contributors, any rational person who has been following events at KSB in the recent past will agree that in certain instances, the comments simply went overboard as open matusi was dragged into commentary and names dropped as participants tried to outplay one another, forcing KSB to begin editing comments to protect people’s reputations and to send signals that there is what is acceptable and what is not.
Mud-slinging, intrigue, hatred and calumny
In another twist of events which also caught our attention, some commentators simply veered from both the subject matter and line of commentary to expand the parameters of debate with devastating consequences. They cleverly utilized the ingredients of current discussion topics to seek out their enemies as they threw provocative pointers targeted at specific individuals or groups of individuals.
Once these enemies detected that they were being sought or targeted indirectly, they in turn came out armed with new and lethal missiles which had nothing to do with the original debate but which tended to expand the war to new and fresh territories.
The end results was that a commentary which started as a result of the Chairman’s story ended up with someone being told that his mouth “was drooling with pus because of his injured tongue”. The guy had proudly announced that he had just been blessed with a baby girl but unfortunately, the baby ended up being referred to as a “chicken” in a moment of rage. Another example will suffice.
Using the inclination that the crisis that was facing the “Sheamani” may have been linked to promiscuity, some enemies went ahead to name certain women in Kenya-Stockholm whom they accused of perpetually practicing prostitution and KSB had to delete the names in a moment of censorship.
We carried the story that detailed events that led to the Chairman landing in custody. But when commentators took over, KSB staffers had to retreat into the banker to watch the missiles on radar screens as they were unleashed through a battalion of the Chairman’s enemies who appeared to have been coordinating attacks with terrific power.
After the comment’s section was opened, some Kenyans thought that it was a historic moment because “democracy had come to KSB”. A blogger who attacked KSB for having closed the comments section was among the first casualties and the firepower was so intense that after a few bombings “Gaza style”, he closed down his blog and went into retirement. The democracy he was calling for put him out of business and at a terrific speed which stunned observers.
Is what we are witnessing today the kind of “democracy” that pro-comments readers had envisioned? Because of my understanding of Media politics, I knew this was coming and I took a lot of time to warn that opening comments had its own consequences. The sensation that was at KSB before the emergence of comments has now proved to have been a “Tea Party” because the main boogie appear to have taken over.
Under the Freedom of expression Act, some comments could not be approved while others dumped as long as names were not being named. Even under this arrangement, there are individuals whose characters are currently in tatters because of anonymous commentators who took advantage of the new developments at KSB to get even.
As we continue to follow events, we appeal to contributors to put themselves in the shoes of those under attack because anybody could slip and your story could land at KSB. Obviously, readers need to express themselves as much as possible. However, personal abuses, naming names, using offensive language and engaging in character assassination is what we believe should be avoided.
We encourage readers to use the opportunity to comment responsibly because if focus is concentrated on personal attacks, it is inter-personal relationships that will end up being destroyed probably for ever.
There is a point when “a comment ceases to be a comment” and becomes a pure abuse. We encourage readers to use the new facility with dignity and to take advantage of the possibility of sending comments anonymously to try and build, reconstruct and encourage positivity as opposed to the current situation where what is being promoted is intrigue, hatred, calumny, mud-slinging and sheer malice.
Okoth Osewe
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Osewe: Kudos and it’s good that you have taken time to assess the midway progress of the comments section. You have pointed out the emerging degeneration currently faced especially during the ongoing Chairman-Malkia saga. I commend you for continually editing the filth some characters are spewing to smear others at KSB without considering their own hidden skeletons.
I will be specific with the particular cases you referred to.
Hellen Awuor: She went to Aftonbladet thinking she could con her way into get sympathy. Kenyans were infuriated by her rebuke of the child care system at home, no matter how bad it is. Brian Arwa’s own mother was incensed by her manipulation to get papers together with the “MTV girls” and some know that Brian’s life has never been stable because of these women.
Clay Onyango: People reacted after he continuously allowed some people to use his blog to attack you Osewe, specifically because of your right to criticize Ambassador Muhindi. There was a lot of decorum and most comments were restricted upon the given topic. Nobody treaded upon other well-known social behaviors of Clay.
Antony Adiwa: His incompetence in booking tickets had long been criticized by Swedes and yet most Kenyans were silently suffering in the name of promoting his business, yet got raw deals. When Lenza’s husband came out openly to give his side of the story, that was when Adiwa’s name began surfacing. All commentators debated the ticket issue and nothing else.
Antony Odera: His case is well-known and I won’t mention further. Almost 10 years in Sweden, he still lacks a base.
Moreen Cheptoo: Another Hellen Awuor type who thought that by going to the Swedish media she could get her way around, instead of first seeking opinion from knowledgeable Kenyans.
Political commentaries by Kip and Muirani were received with concrete challenges (for and against) the Waki Report.
The Chairman, former Kenyan blogger and others who are known but their names have NOT been mentioned directly, are cases that Kenyans have commented on both in support and opposition.
The Chairman’s case brought a lot of rot in many comments because of the bitterness of various women he had been involved with. However, commentators like Mbuni and Malkia, angered people when they condemned Kenyans collectively thinking that Nigerians and Senegalese are more united. We have also seen one-liners like Ebony who sometimes comments on another Kenyan blog, but thinks she is too smart. These are the people hiding in the virtual world and keep shadow-boxing Kenyans wholesale thinking that we are failures instead of singling out specific cases.
KSB is still a great forum and it’s only that CERTAIN commentators need to raise the bar a notch higher and stop being petty. In the future, use your executive powers to ban some characters and accept quality comments only.
KSB: Well said Caro. Let us be civil.
Osewe, I think this is a good reality check to inject civility into the comments section because some recent inputs were completely below par.
Those insulting others and want to use KSB to settle personal scores should simply be banned.
I went laughing when I read how you were challenged by the former Kenyan blogger for being undemocratic. He considered himself young, liberal, forward-thinking/progressive and all that. But where? He must now be soothing himself with Reggae blues after his true character surfaced. A real woman basher who hid behind his blog to condemn many Kenyans for lack of unity, yet his own life is not united.
Otherwise KSB is very open for variuous views except for those who insult and think they are doing fine while others are losers. They should take their cheap insults elsewhere.
KSB: Kudos. We need to do this together. May be, commentators should also send alarm or warn “below the belt” operatives.
Osewe: Just delete comments that are filthy and aimed at insulting.
There are sarcastic or symboloic words that can be used humorously or to stress a point. If they are not abusive, then you can allow them. I can imagine the pressure you underwent last week editing unpalatable words that would have set our computer monitors on fire if allowed.
The comments section was opened after certain people branded you a dictator, thinking they were more open at their blogs. Now they are crying wolf when precision-aimed projectiles are smoking them out of their holes.
Those insulting others just show how limited they are in engaging mature discussion.
KSB: Good advice. I like your civility.
Just ban scambags who think that KSB is a cesspit and can spew anyhow then dash for cover like Mbuni, Ebony and Malkia. If used properly, this site can generate a lot of understanding on many helpful issues among Kenya-Stockholmers.
Yes, there is a lot of tongue-lashing on some topics, but overall many commentators have remained sane in their approach. I support the fact that when NOT warranted, names should not be mentioned.
When you pulled down the recent pictures of the Kenyan girl taken from the Standard newspaper, nobody opposed you because if the involved parties had pleaded that they were dealing with the situation, then reality had to prevail.
Keep up the good work.
KSB: The pull-down was also linked to an error we made by attaching an email comment that the girl had been raped when this was not the case. We even aplogized to her because our policy is to accept mistakes then correct them as part of development.
Passionate as I am about debate, especially on topics that would enhance the development and cohesiveness of the Kenyan community in Stockholm as well as our nation in general, the hostility, unwillingness to compromise and hatred exhibited by some our brothers and sisters makes intended interaction quite the futile exercise. Some of us rather timid types shy away from these kinds of “free for all” sorties, despite the much acclaimed freedom of expression. Since learning to duck in time is an art that requires much acquired experience, those of us lagging behind tend to deter to the more agile, as one “Muhenga” advised another, “Wenjenguvu wapishe”. It is most distressing to see that we have not yet learnt to agree to disagree with dignity intact. One cannot be right all the time and to refuse to acknowledge this fact is vanity, more than often an unscrupulous quest for the prestige and satisfaction of saying, “See, I told you so!” or “I know better!”, regardless of the consequences. Unfortunately this vice is quite prevalent amongst our brethren from Kenya, and elsewhere for that matter. I do not seek to condemn or pass judgment, but must we always seek to destroy rather than to build? It is better to hold ones peace and be considered dull and stupid, than to open ones mouth and confirm ones imprudence.
KSB: Well said Milton. We value your intellectual input.
To make records straight I never expected publication of any issue concerning my family. I called Osewe for the simple purpose of asking him not to mobilise Kenyans to go and protest over the issue published on aftonbladet. By this time my family had already been hurt being insinuated by aftonbladet without being contacted. I am not anyones enemy.
Issues concerning childbirth, marriage and family issues are sensitive issues that require responsibility and accountability. I love my family and respect good intentions.
KSB: I think there could be some lapses here. From my understanding, you were reacting to the KSB story after the Aftonbladet story and to correct the impression that Brian was into the thing voluntarily. This is what was published. There are some details you gave which you said should not however be published and they were not. It is true that I was very sympathetic with Hellen at that time and this is my nature. The KSB story supported her and this is what you were calling to correct and to stop any steps that could lead to mobilization for a demo. You could have raised an objection immediately after the story was published but you never did until today. We could discuss the issue outside the forum “to avoid drama” that could be ignited by a public exchange and which might not be very productive.
I agree that commentators need to raise “red flags” when filthy language or unnecessary attacks are launched on others. The comments section could be self-regulated if people set aside unbecoming insults.
Otherwise long live the freedom of expression at KSB.
Most of the topics at KSB take a twisted turn when new info is pumped in such as this new intervention by Jacqueline which takes me aback.
All along I thought she had reacted to what was already available. It is Hellen who had gone public at Aftonbladet and commentators chipped in to react on what they knew, including Jacqueline’s son.
I hope that Osewe can iron this out with her to avoid new drama. I wonder why she had not retorted then.
Lillian, even myself I am surprised. I don’t think Osewe could have been crazy enough to turn a private conversation into news. The perturbing question is why she has been quiet all along.
I have re-read the article and I find nothing scandalous and this increases the puzzle even more. It was a well written story and I admired her tough stand with the MTV girls. It looks like something may have happened that is now forcing her to bacl-track. I don’t want to begin speculation “to avoid drama” and I hope she will sort this thing out with Osewe as you say.
well one can agree that some of comments posted were very uncivilized, but what i have also learned here is that one can not blame others for your own mistake. i wondered why it was so hot! only to be told that its because of the chairman and his mouth!! we have seen how one is so unpopular among the kenyans here. i hope that its a ringing bell for people to change their behaviors and focus on what really brought them here.
so many things have bing said here 90% was true that some need not only to change but must change. we have also learned that “mambo ya kwako, ni lazima ibaki kwako” if anything happens between you and your husband or wife, find your own way of solving them. don’t ever go public with your domestic problems, because you will only not solve the problem but make it worse.
about skeletons, yes we all have them but it depends where in your closets you have them. its good to hide some things. am saying this coz the other day i had issues with my wife and all of sudden my best friend came, we just pretended that nothing had happened. and surely after the friend left we never revisited the issue. its good that one can send comments to ksb now. KSB juuu, juuu juu zaidi
I am not dissapointed really, infact my family could sacrifice to be an example rescue people who could not be strong enough to survive this kind of situation if they were really directly involved sometimes sacrifices have to be made. Osewe do your job we can talk thura. Carry on with your work. I still stand firm that no matter what circumstances are I will always see my family and other children be led to the right direction.
KSB: Asante sista. Let us build ourselves while protecting our families jealously. You remain a good example of a few progressive Kenyans. I admire your courage and forthrightness. We talk later.
Mr osewe, if you really mean about protecting peoples integrity,dont allow all these dirty comments being posted in the 3 previous articles again.We have heard enough now and lets close those chapters.Most people continue sending the same messages all the time attacking people without evidence just because they are out to spoil peoples names.
KSB: What you are saying in other words is that freedom of expression should be muzzled at KSB. Abusive language should definitely be banned. The difficulty is in drawing the line between banning comments and muzzling freedom of expression. This freedom is always troublesome.
Well said Jacqueline and is good you seem more calm in your second comment. Honestly, many people were with you during that trying period and most of the comments were in condemnation of the group against your family.
As said by commentator #1, many were angry with the selfish conduct of Hellen. I hope your sacrifice can be an example to the rest in our community to avoid future wrangles. The shallow approach of the MTV girls led Hellen to the Swedish media, thus blowing this whole thing into a huge mountain.
On the recent erosion of comments, I agree with mlachake that the chairman’s big mouth landed him in trouble. Does one see a difference between him and a “manamba” in Kenya when he talks loosely? No. Because he talks without thinking, describing women as objects that can be used anyhow. Let him walk with his head bowed for all the shame he has brought himself and family.
I also agree fully with Milton #5 that sometimes one is bound to chicken out when comments become dirty and wayward, full of insults that warrant no input. But I take exception on the recent Chairman’s debate because the bitter pill he was being served had been long overdue and he deserved it. A man, especially who is linked to a Political group back home, must conduct himself with respect and show leadership.
The chairman should know that in the cyber world, the people he represents are well informed about happenings in Stockholm through KSB and might not be happy with his alleged immoral acts. What about his children, in case there are some who are mature enough to understand the trash he is spreading around? Why hasn’t he changed his bad habits since his wife joined him? Why hasn’t he resigned from his position as party leader? Why haven’t the party members kicked him out?
We keep blaming Kenyan politicians for their immorality, but here the chairman proves to be wearing the same dirty loin clothes, hopping from woman to woman. I hope that his publicised wife-battering will calm him down. Malkia and other home-breakers should also tame themselves. Shame!
We kenyans have such outstanding dignity and its fashionable today to be a Kenyan as it only took a Kenyan half blood to record history and show the world that there are no impossibilities.YES WE CAN! We should take a leaf from brother Obama and be people of high integrity, humbleness but above all maintain high virtues that really count. You know what I really cherish the support I RECEIVED
coz you see we want our people to make history here too.
That we come here in different ways, punch holes into our own lives and leave our responibilities to vulnerable people in the name of generousity is unfair. Our
offsprings should be supported to complete their studies first because only then can they manage to succumb burdens created by “MTV” G´S.Asanteni, erourukamano, ninjega fio, othire naoru, mbuya mono sana mbane, eh!
Go kenyans the sky is the limit!
Jacqueline
KSB: Well said. Short and clear.
This is a moment of kenyans being critical in issues that are affecting them.We are so scared tosay our views and this is one of the reasons kenyans back home are suffering from.But I dislike those using abusival ways , be gentle and diplomatic and stand on what you believe.
Mr. Larry you said right.If sheamani was kimya,his wife kimya too,noone could blame someone . Infact sheamani said about malkia,his wife keeps informing people of the happenings in their home &feeds sheamani with every comments made by the “others“.Surely nani mbaya?They feed on others names and failures.THEIR HOME WILL BURN FOREVER.