Occasionally, KSB gets interesting requests. A person gives an interview and once it is published, Wakenya begin to call him or her. Friends and foes alike begin to put pressure why the newsmaker has said this and that. The newsmaker begins to experience butterflies in the stomach and calls KSB to make a request that the story be pulled down because it is “bringing problems”.
We are in the digital age and because the newsmaker had accepted that the interview be recorded, it is always obvious that there will be no excuse about “I was misquoted” kinda thing. KSB has had about five such cases in the past and no story has ever been pulled down. The rules are clear. As Bob Marley said, “Don’t jump in the water if you can’t swim”. Within the context of KSB, don’t give an interview if you cannot defend what you are saying.
Now, a new request has popped up. Someone called KSB and requested that a picture be pulled down because it’s not good. The picture was taken at a disco during a Kenyan Party. In law, Kenyan discos are part and parcel of the public sphere and the law is clear when it comes to publication of pictures taken at a public place. If the picture depicts someone committing a crime, the face has to be concealed because if the case goes to court, it might turn out that the person is innocent anyway. If there is no crime being committed, the picture can be published by any media although circumstances vary.
As a matter of courtesy, KSB is sensitive when it comes to taking “sensitive pictures” because the purpose of this site is not to put Wakenya into problems. You can be comfortable that you will never see your picture on the blog when you are squeezing yourselves on the dance floor, sometimes with lips tightly glued during that passionate moment when you eventually melt down and forget that you are in a public disco.
KSB does not know the romantic equations normally worked out before a couple begins to fuse on the floor. It could be that you decided to play “cheater” on your BF or GF for a break and a Kenyan disco was probably the perfect ground for you. You surely saw KSB Crew at the Party and when you wake up the following day, you might be curious about a report on the disco so you get online and bwaii! You are on the headlines wrapped up in a bundle (chest to chest) and the scene is damn dangerous from a romantic perspective. But that is if you are lucky.
If it was your bad day, you are woken up with a phone call because Wakenya have been calling round the clock to “break news” or asking whether you are these days moving with so and so. “No I don’t. What’s up?”, you pose in a moment of surprise. “You are in the blog mamen na wewe ni mdeadli”, comes the response as you rise to get updated online.
KSB DOES NOT HELP PEOPLE “GET EVEN”
You instantly discover that you will soon be in trouble and you do what is best. You call KSB and request that the picture be pulled down because italeta problem. At KSB, we are responsible so just do your thing. It is true that the disco is a public place but we do respect the “little privacy” which, we believe, revelers are entitled to. At the disco, the propaganda potential is normally so enormous that married Kenyans who come “unaccompanied” never take a risk. They dance “for fun” but keep a very safe distance.
At the disco, there are Kenyans who get so much zonked that they begin to sleep anywhere. Imagine what would happen to your image as a respectable Mwananchi when you suddenly recognize yourself in deep sleep, with your arms and fore-head resting on the table (as you snore) when Wakenya are partying in the background. Such pictures are degrading and KSB does not publish them as a matter of policy. We report scandal but we do not create scandal, more so, with innocent Wakenya who just want to have fun.
Another new thing. A Kenyan learns that KSB was at the scene and realizes that we made lot’s of very detailed observations which have been compiled in a report. The Boyfriend or hubby was away under the pretext of “attending the Kenyan disco”. Sometime, the woman of the house had slipped away because she had to link up with Kenyan friends at the disco, leaving Mamen to baby-sit.
Then suddenly, a call gets in and guess what? A partner wants to know whether a rib was at the disco and whether he/she was articulating with someone on the dance floor. “My man is stupid and he does stupid things when he is drunk and I just wanted to find out”, came a comment from a Swedish lady when I became tough to a stupid question.
Surely, KSB crew does not play “Disco police”. If you ask me, then “I did not see anybody” so don’t ask me. The disco reports are mainly for humor because nothing much happens at the disco anyway. Wakenya should not therefore read too much into the reports or expect KSB crew to have some “Intelligence” which could be shared. Back to the picture thing, we will soon update our FAQ to include a position on taking pictures and publishing them at the blog-site.
Lastly, if you have disagreed with your fellow Kenyan, don’t call KSB with private details to be published because you are looking for revenge.
“I know how this guy came to Sweden. He had nowhere to go. I helped him for eight months. He had no job. And now, he is bullshitting me. And bla bla bla…” . We don’t want to know because everybody has a story left behind. Just sort it out by yourselves.
There are several discussion forums and other garbage dumps (like RCbowen) where you can publish anything. We have a responsibility to readers and certain basic principles which cannot be compromised. KSB does not help people get even. We hope that this explains why certain articles sent via email have never been published. The same case applies to any mails that are classified as “crap” by KSB. Have a good day.
Okoth Osewe
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