CNN praises Kenyans for their resilience, courage, compassion during terror attack
In the aftermath of the Dusit attack on Tuesday and the anger directed at the New York Times (NYT) for publishing a gory picture of the victims, one international broadcaster, which has in the past been subjected to the wrath of Kenyans for its reportage, has praised Kenyans for their courage in the face of adversity.
The Cable News Network (CNN) on Friday paid a glowing tribute to Kenyans for coming together to show the attackers that they were not cowed by the threat of terrorism.
Similarly, in an article published on Thursday on its online platform titled, Kenyans show a force of unity following Nairobi hotel attack, CNN narrated how Kenyans stood together in the wake of the terrorist attack.
“The country has suffered successive waves of terror attacks since 2011, most of them blamed on the Al-Shaabab Islamic militant group. But Kenyans are determined to show that they will not be cowed by the terrorists,” CNN’s article reads.
Security personnel help evacuate people from the Dusit D2 complex which was attacked by terrorists on January 15, 2019.
PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
HEROIC EFFORTS
“They have been sharing photos of bravery by rescue teams and random acts of kindness by residents using the hashtags #KenyaUnbowed and #WeShallOvercome,” the article further reads.
The broadcaster talked about how many Kenyans took to Twitter and praised the heroic efforts of security personnel, who worked most of Tuesday and overnight Wednesday to get survivors to safety from the besieged Dusit D2 complex.
Armed GSU officers arrive at Dusit D2 Hotel which was attacked by terrorists on January 15, 2019. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE
CNN described how an image of an unidentified security officer shielding seven people outside the complex had been shared several times with many commending his bravery.
They also mentioned and shared images of the volunteers who came out and helped during the long hours that the siege lasted.
The network published various images of how Kenyans came together in various ways for a common cause.
AMAZING TALES
In the wake of the terror attack, there were amazing tales of a woman who served meals to the rescuers and security forces from a van outside the hotel complex, hundreds of volunteers who trooped to designated hospitals to donate blood as well as a timely initiative by ride-hailing service UberKenya to offer free trips to these hospitals for those who wanted to donate blood.
The praises come after Kenyans went ham on NYT for publishing gory pictures of the attack, with Kenyans blaming the newspaper of employing double standards by publishing bodies of attack victims in Africa, while concealing the same when attacks happen in America.
NYT has since promised to take action but remains largely unapologetic despite a demand by the Media Council of Kenya and ordinary Kenyans to have the offensive picture pulled down.
The coming together of Kenyans during this tragic incident was best captured by President Uhuru Kenyatta, who in a televised address on Wednesday morning said “For every act of evil that led to injury, there were a dozen acts of compassion, overflowing patriotism and individual courage.”