Kenya, impazza la radio consulente matrimoniale

Mentre in Kenya prosegue la discussione sul ruolo delle radio vernacolari nel fomentare lo scontro inter-etnico, ho trovato molto gustoso questo pezzo di Phares Mutembei su The Standard. Questa volta le radio vernacolari kenyote sono protagoniste in positivo: il pezzo descrive l'incredibile successo degli show radiofonici serali in cui gli spettatori chiedono consigli di natura matrimoniale, domestica e sessuale. I consultori via radio sembrano essere la grande moda del momento.

Love and lunacy on late-night radio
June 29, 2008

By Phares Mutembei

It is approaching 10pm and Milcah Njeri Kamau is busy tucking her two children into bed. Although they should be asleep, the children are not tired, yet, and are openly protesting. On any other day, Njeri would not be eager to be rid of her children. But this is Sunday, and her favourite late-night radio show, Ithaa Ria kwibanga (meaning ‘a time to get organised’ in Kikuyu), is about to be aired on Kameme FM. Equally eager is John Kamau, her husband of over 10 years. And so Njeri puts her children to bed and, in spite of their protests, she and her man settle down for recreation. The couple says they cannot remember the last time they missed the show.
For various reasons, many Kenyans are tuning to late-night radio shows, especially those that focus on family issues such as marriage, divorce, children, and other relationship-based issues. One of the reasons for the programmes’ popularity, it seems, is their level of human interest, more so the fact that they are sometimes quite provocative.
Consider, for example, one caller’s absurd problem: "Sometimes back, my wife and I had nothing to complain about... But that is now in the past and, lately, she is complaining that I am ‘no good’, and even thinks that my lack of interest is a sign of infidelity."
Here is the word of advice this caller received from the radio helper: "Perhaps it would be wise to retrace your steps and discover when the rain started beating you. Take it easy at work and at home. Eat right and, soon, you will be the stallion that you once were!"
A Nairobi resident, Virginia Ngare Muiyuro is already hooked. "I am an enthusiastic fan of Hutia Mundu (‘touch someone’), a late Sunday show by Inooro FM, which broadcasts in Kikuyu. The programme’s ardent fans say this show is brazen in terms of both language and content.
"I would not miss the show for anything," says Virginia. "My husband and I never miss it; it has helped our marriage in many ways." The show, she says, offers useful tips on how a marriage can be made successful. "It has guided me on how a wife should cook and take care of her man and children — even how to take care of the ‘smallest of details’ at home and how to keep the flames of marriage burning. It has taught me how to hold the attention of my husband, and that is good."
Virginia says that the show’s hosts, Pastor Kuria and Wanjiku, address many pertinent marital issues. "This is helping our relationship to grow stronger. It is a family show that discusses everything you would expect it to."
Because of the explicit nature of the programme’s content, however, she cautions that it is wise to keep children away while it is being aired. Ahead of the presentation, the first thing the presenters of Hutia Mundu do is to sound a warning to parents to ensure that their children are a safe distance away.
Virginia, a mother of two, says there is nothing immoral about discussing bedroom and other family issues on radio.

Learning from others

"When I hear what other people are undergoing, I learn from it and I am better off," she says. She believes the show would not have had any impact on their lives if it were censored. "It would be pointless to keep such topics as sex from radio."
She and her husband listen to the show because it is "adding substance" to their marriage. "But the show is not solely for the married. Single men and women participate too. During the show, which usually lasts for longer than an hour, there is a call-in slot where listeners present their relationship problems to the presenters. For example, one recent caller narrated how he could not find himself the perfect wife he desired. He asked: "How would I know the right one for me?"
Once they have the questions, the hosts offer solutions and suggestions, and the callers usually say they are happier. For instance, in response to this caller’s dilemma, the host said: "There are many places to look for a wife and one place you are sure to ‘hook’ a good one is the church. At our church, for instance, we have a special evening service for single women and men and you should make a point of coming: you won’t be disappointed!"

Secular shows? Not for us!

Judith Gacheri and her husband Jesse Maina love late night radio programmes — specifically those hosted by the clergy.
"We steer clear of the radio shows that are run by ‘outright’ secular presenters," says Jesse. Some non-religious presenters, he feels, are "not qualified" to offer solutions on marriage or matters pertaining to love and romance. "Many late night shows on some of our FM stations are stage-managed," he claims. The presenters, he believes, imaginatively "cook" relationship problems and then invite callers to participate in addressing the topic as if it was raised by genuine callers. "The end result is a confusing show with all manner of participants," says Jesses, who says he has little patience for this calibre of shows.
On her part, Gacheri feels the late-night shows have provided her with valuable information on how to make her family life more successful. She enthuses: "Pastor Kuria of Inooro FM on Sunday evenings does not hold back any information when discussing love matters. And he need not do that, because he says things we all want to know about." The clergyman, she says, is a marriage and family therapist who has touched many couple’s lives — "and ours is a good example."
Kamau Thuo confesses that he is addicted to late-night shows. "I tune in to so many of these shows, looking for one that is hosting a debate suited to my situation, and I am seldom disappointed. Among his favourites are Hutia Mundu and Ithaa ria Kwibanga on Inooro and Kameme respectively, and the late shows on Kiss FM, Easy FM and Citizen Radio. "In the morning, I tune in to Classic FM." Thuo admits to having had several broken romantic relationships.

Calls for censorship

One caller laments that the shows are a source of family conflicts. "As you would expect, some of these shows turn into radio wars between men and women callers. The men pour vitriol, accusing women for failing marriages and relationships," says Ochieng’. In response, women lash out at the men, accusing them of tyranny. He, however, says that, although sometimes caustic, the exchanges between the sexes often make for very entertaining listening.
In Kamau’s experience, the salacious discussions on extramarital affairs "and a bit of sexism" are the elements that make the listening worthwhile. His girlfriend, Nancy Wangui, shares these sentiments. "As much as the shows help us, there is a lot of entertainment as well," she observes. Some callers, she says, make juicy confessions, although some of these admission are "disgusting". Luckily, the obscene material is "not to be found in the vernacular FM radio stations."
Judith and her husband stress that measures should be put in place to ensure that the listening public’s sense of morality is not insulted. "As much as radio is helping us shape marriages and love relationships, it does not mean all is well," she says. "A few shows are adding no value to family life." These, she says, encourage unfaithfulness and disrespect in relationships.
Consider Wangui’s experience as a listener: "I once listened to a caller who confessed to having three girlfriends. He was at a loss about which of the three to propose to, because, he said, he loved all of them." She carries on: "In the hot debate that followed, some callers suggested that he should marry the most beautiful. Others advised him to marry the one who knew how to ‘love’ most. Another’s suggestion was to marry all of them, because African customs allow polygamy anyway." Disgusted, Wangui asks: "Now, what kind of advice is that — on national radio? If you ask me," Wangui offers, "all that was hogwash."
Virginia will continue listening to Hutia Mundu because, she says, it has touched and added substance to her marriage. "I am also a better mother as a result of the wise counsel I receive from the presenters," she says. "I may not necessarily attend the presenter’s church, but that is no reason for me to avoid his programme.

Conflict of interest

Some listeners lament that some of the shows are commercially motivated. For instance, as Virginia has observed, "Some of the marriage therapists that host them invite callers to visit them in their offices for more personalised consultation. But, there, you are expected to pay for the services."
While, overall, many listeners like the shows, some are not so amused. Twenty-eight-year-old Joseph Okwanyo is one such consumer. "I listen to them but my motivation is completely different. For me, it is purely for entertainment." Some of the presenters in the shows, he says, have their own marital or relationship problems. He asks: "Why would a presenter who broke up with a partner in the morning make his way to a studio in the evening and start advising people on love?"
Overall, he says, the shows make for an exciting pastime. "They make my evenings interesting, and I go to sleep with a smile."

Kenya, dissenso sul veto alle radio vernacolari

Dopo le violenze che fecero seguito alle elezioni presidenziali in Kenya e gli incitamenti alla guerra interetnica che furono lanciate da diverse stazioni radio private dell'interno del Paese, sembra che il parlamento kenyota stia discutendo della possibilità di chiudere le cosiddette "vernacular stations", quelle che non operano in lingua inglese o in kiswahili. Spulciando la lista (non aggiornatissima ma abbastanza attendibile) che ho trovato sul sito della Communications commission of Kenya, il fenomeno di queste stazioni vernacolari è molto consistente. Il sito dell'ufficio stampa del governo, che si occupa degli accrediti dei giornalisti nazionali e stranieri, elenca 13 stazioni regionali o vernacolari. Si trovano persino alcuni stream su Internet. Diversi commentatori stanno facendo sentire le proprie contrarietà all'ipotesi di una legge genericamente repressiva. Non colpite le stazioni vernacolari, ma le singole trasmissioni violente, dicono. Ecco per esempio il commento di Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem sul sito della ONG Justice Africa.

African Languages Should Not be Criminalised
May 15th, 2008

In this column last week I wrote about the demonisation of the media in Kenya, as Kenyans tried to exorcise themselves of their recent ghostly past. The media is not without its faults; but to blame it for hatred, violence, wanton destruction of property, neighbours killing one another and communities turning against themselves, is simply finding a scapegoat. Such a convenient foil will make it possible to let off all the other culprits. In this case the grand architects of the mayhem are the politicians, the political class and the Kenyan ruling class in general, who whip up these sentiments and manipulate the genuine grievances of the masses, in pursuit of their own personal and class interests.
The grand coalition government (increasingly exposing itself as lacking in grand people) politicians, who only a few weeks ago, were spouting all kinds of extremist statements, are now uniting against everybody else; becoming holier than thou in preaching national reconciliation and peace, and trying to outshine one another as ‘the patriotic Kenyan’! Everyone is guilty except the political leaders.
The Nairobi Star reported on ‘radical proposals’ emerging from the recent bonding retreat of the new government: “vernacular radio stations should be closed down, cabinet ministers agreed”. The decision, according to the report, was followed by “discussions on what role the media played in the post election period” (‘Vernacular FM Stations to be Closed’, May 10 2008).
Really? I do not speak or understand any of the languages of the 42 officially recognised ethnic groups in Kenya. My understanding of the more widely spoken National language, Kiswahili, is still very much kidogo kidogo (i.e. little), yet I am acutely aware of the crass hostilities between different communities, charges of ethnic discrimination and allegations of ethnic monopoly of this or that, by one group or the other. So which media is poisoning my mind?
The Kenyan ruling elite have been quite successful, until recently, in living in grand denial of the social, economic and political injustices that have made them one of the most prosperous middle classes in Africa, as well as making Kenya one of the most unequal societies in the world. The tragic violence on the back of the disputed elections finally punctured deep holes in this class/crass delusion. Even a superficial examination of Kenya’s colonial and post-colonial history will reveal the extreme violence perpetrated by the British followed by the independence elite who perfected their rule through the same divide and conquer of the British, and turned Uhuru (independence) into a permanent burden to the masses. Somehow the elite swallowed their own propaganda of Kenya as an oasis of peace and stability. They took comfort in the disintegration of their neighbours and believed that civil wars, genocide, military coups, economic meltdown etc., were things that happen to their neighbours; not Kenya, the country internationally known as the destination for exotic Safaris, complacent to the tune of ‘Kenya Yetu, Hakuna Matata’ (no problems in our Kenya).
The decades of violence after independence, including ethnic clashes, ethnic cleansing and high level unsolved political murders, were minor details conveniently airbrushed from the official self image of the country, until December 2007.
Now that the ideologically manufactured innocence has finally been exposed, Kenyan rulers are looking for scapegoats for the troubled paradise, a paradise that has always excluded the majority of its peoples whatever their ethnicity, religion or race.
By making media broadcasting in indigenous languages the enemy, the political elite is only showing itself up as the local settler / colonial master it has always been. In that colonial mindset, the majority of the people, their culture, traditions and languages, become objects of attack and persecution. The colonialists justified their predatory adventures, oppression and exploitation of the colonised people as the ‘white man’s burden’ to bring civilisation and God to the natives. The post colonial elite continues the same attack on their own people in the name of modernisation, culturally translating to westernisation and uncritically aping the language and cultures of Wazungu (Europeans) . That’s why our indigenous languages are referred to as ‘vernacular’ and our children are made to feel ashamed of and even punished for speaking their mother tongues at school.
The current attack on indigenous language media is not unique to Kenya - although it takes different forms in other countries - and is not limited to just the media. It is a wholesale attack on Africanness. It is not just about freedom of expression, but part of a larger and long attack on the minds of the masses that must be resisted. The English language media are no less guilty of xenophobia, ethnic hatred or distortions, misrepresentation or disinformation. So why pick on indigenous language stations? Is it because English phobias and ideological biases are preferable to indigenous ones?
In the UK, the Welsh are proud to use their local language; they insist that signposts in Wales are Welsh and have mandatory broadcasts in their language. In Britain in general, ethnic minorities are not ashamed to retain and reclaim their culture and language, whilst being part of a vibrant multi-cultural society. And yet in Kenya, politicians want to legislate against ethnic media! Just imagine the ridiculousness of it all. A Kikuyu, Luo, Luhya, or any of the numerous diaspora of Kenyan communities in the UK can establish a radio station or any other media in their mother tongue, sometimes even with government support but back home in Kenya, if politicians have their way, such an endeavour would be criminalised!
I am very much aware of the role which the media especially the radio (which is still the most influential media in Africa as it is virtually accessible to everyone) can play both negatively and positively in our societies. Radio Mille Collines in Rwanda was both orchestrator and perpetrator for genocidaire elements and genocide. Still, the solution in post-genocide Rwanda was not to ban radio in Kiyarwanda, but to change the laws, criminalise hatred broadcast and publications and reorient the content of programmes in a wider public education programme of a continuous fight against the ideology from which genocide springs. The state should make laws that protect the whole of society and be willing to sanction those who violate them - whether they are media, politicians or academics, instead of blaming indigenous language. In blaming the language rather than those who instigate these sentiments, Kenyan politicians are behaving like the proverbial ostrich man in the Yoruba saying: O fi ete sile on pa lapa lapa - someone who is suffering from leprosy is busy seeking medicines for eczema!

Kenya, nuova postazione per Radio Italiana

Dal Kenya Enrico Li Perni mi ha comunicato importanti novità relative ai programmi in lingua italiana (ripresi da SatelRadio di Rai International) diffusi in FM nell'area costiera di Malindi. Radio Italiana opera su 103.3 MHz e i gestori sono John Musyimi, Enrico Li Perni e Samuel Park.

Il giorno 16 Marzo 2008 si è provveduto allo spostamento degli apparati di trasmissione della Radio Italiana presso una nuova installazione a 10 Km nord di Malindi località MAMBRUI in prossimità della base di lancio Italiana "SAN MARCO".
Le trasmissioni sono regolarmente iniziate alle ore 16:00 del 16 marzo 2008.
E' stata ampliata la copertura del segnale ad un raggio di 90 Km.
La radio locale che rilancia il segnale di SATELRADIO Rai si chiama Sauti Ya Pwani (La voce della costa in lingua Swahili)
La programmazione comprenderà i vari GR e commedie radiofoniche quali 610, il cammello di radio 2 e le repliche di Viva Radio 2 di Fiorello e Baldini, la Domenica sarà dedicata alle cronache sportive in diretta dagli stadi, a questo parziale palinsesto ricevuto da Roma tramite la ricezione satellitare dal satellite INTELSAT 10 ( PANAMSAT PAS 10 68,5 East ), è affiancata la produzione locale di news e programmi in lingua mista Ghiriama-Inglese-Swahili per le popolazioni indigene, praticamente viene tolta la programmazione di Satelradio che per via dei contenuti non è prontamente assimilabile dagli ascoltatori. (leggi contenuti pallosi quali il melodramma " ARIA "e la sagra della cipolla ad Aversa etc etc.)
La Radio è una iniziativa a capitale economico e tecnologico misto Keniano-Italiano-Sud Coreano.
Il sito di trasmissione è di proprietà della Radio RAHMA, una radio di stile religioso Islamico che trasmette lungo la costa del Kenya a forte presenza Islamica. Notevole da evidenziare la grande disponibilità di tempi e mezzi messi a disposizione dei titolari di Radio Rahma per far si che anche la Radio Italiana sia in onda, ringrazio pubblicamente il Sig. Ariff e il Sig. Nassir per tutto il supporto dato.

In Kenya una ricerca di mercato individua 7,5 milioni di famiglie che posseggono una radio per un totale di 16,7 milioni di ascoltatori, circa un quarto dei quali concentrati nelle grandi città. Sarebbero oltre 60 le stazioni che si contendono questa audience.

According to a research whose findings were released Tuesday, 7.5 million homes possess radios while 3.2 million others have television sets. The research by the Steadman Group, showed that of the homes with radios, 5.6 million are in the rural areas while 1.9 million in towns. On the other hand, 1.8 million television set owners are in the rural areas while 1.4 million live in the urban centres.
These are the homes targeted by 14 television and 63 radio stations as clients and advertisers.
It also emerged Tuesday that as the media outlets have been on the rise, so has been the advertising budgets. The research established that advertising expenditure to television, radio, print and cinema has been on a steady rise since 2003 when it stood at Sh6.6 billion to last year’s 17.4 billion.
“In 2004 the expenditure was Sh8.4 billion which grew to Sh 9.3 billion the following year. It was in 2006 when it was to hit a double digit of Sh13.6 billion from where it has been growing,” said George Lutta, Media Initiative managing director.
And of the households who own television sets, 51 per cent have coloured ones, 43 per cent black and white while six per cent own both types.
In terms of readership, 2.2 million urban dwellers read newspapers per day compared with 2.6 million in rural areas.
Steadman Group managing director George Waititu who released the results, said out of a base of 8.4 million households, 71 per cent have at least one radio while 13 per cent own two. On the other hand, four per cent have three radios and one per cent four sets. Eleven per cent of the population has no radio set.
But despite this, 16.7 million Kenyans listen to radio. But the figures vary from urban to rural settings. Interestingly the rural populace, by virtue of the number constitutes a bigger constituency of radio listeners (12.4 million) while only 4.4 million in towns.
The survey was commissioned by the Marketing Society of Kenya and Media Owners Association.

Ecco a che cosa servono le onde corte

Enrico Li Perni, il tecnico di radiofrequenza e radioamatore che in Kenya, con la sua ditta, lavora insieme e per conto di un contractor internazionale per la realizzazione di impianti e ponti radio è appena tornato a Nairobi dal villaggio turistico dove è rimasto bloccato in questi drammatici giorni di scontri etnico-politici postelettorali. Enrico gestisce anche una stazione FM rivolta ai turisti italiani. Ecco le considerazioni che mi ha gentilmente inviato via mail. Le sue sono poche righe che descrivono perfettamente una situazione purtroppo niente affatto eccezionale per una vasta parte del mondo. E considerate che in Kenya, come altrove, non è solo questione di tenere calme qualche decina di turisti italiani. Le onde corte potrebbero svolgere una funzione fondamentale proprio su un terreno vitale per l'intero pianeta come il processo di democraticizzazione. Rifiutarsi di prendere in considerazione questo ruolo con i vantaggi di una informazione accurata distribuibile e accessibile con investimenti tutto sommato contenuti o inquadrare il discorso all'interno di un dibattito tra ricchi annoiati sulla superiorità di questo o quell'altro medium, magari digitale, è da incoscienti. Specie quando le nazioni occidentali che fanno le pulci a questo mezzo bollandolo come "obsoleto" sono poi le prime a spendere miliardi di dollari per missioni militari di efficacia alquanto dubbia. E' un bello schifo e Enrico ha ragione da vendere quando parla di vergogna a proposito della sospensione delle trasmissioni di RAI International in onde corte.

Caro Andrea,

Appena di ritorno dalla costa del kenya dove siamo rimasti bloccati fino ad oggi. Viaggio allucinante oltre 600km con l'auto senza freni dopo che all'andata abbiamo centrato una mucca sull'autostrada.
Le uniche notizie che si riescono a sentire sono solo tramite la BBC.
Ero a Watamu 20 Km a sud della cittadina di Malindi, ho dovuto spegnere la radio italiana per via del GR con notizie non controllate dal governo del Kenya; l'unica mia fonte era tramite un giocattolino cinese da 4 euro sintonizzato di giorno a 17.730 Mhz e la sera sui 6.600Mhz [probabilmente Enrico utilizza un piccolo apparecchio a singola conversione e la lettura della frequenza è imprecisa, NdR]
Che vergogna che l'italia abbia abbandonato le OC ( notare la i minuscola). In effetti satellite non ce ne era, corrente neanche, niente benzina, latte pane acqua sigarette, solo la vista dell'Oceano indiano e il cancello del vilaggio turistico che ti catapultava in un mondo di disordini che vedi solo in televisione in qualche paese a te lontano. Il giocattolino sintonizzato sulla BBC era l'unica fonte di notizie obbiettive e non di parte. Facevo il sunto in italiano per i centinaia di turisti che son venuti dall'italia precedentemente ai fatti.
Non ci son balle che tengano, la radio in OC e' di fondamentale importanza per scavalcare i confini policiti e di censura nei paesi di dubbia coscienza.

Enrico
Nairobi 2-01-2008

Kenya, bavaglio sulle dirette radio-tv

Ci risiamo. In Kenya le elezioni presidenziali - che pure si erano svolte senza problemi e con gli osservatori internazionali che non avevano rilevato irregolarità particolari* - stanno degenerando in violenze e morti perché i sostenitori di Raila Odinga non accettano la sconfitta di misura contro il rieletto Mwai Kibaki. In effetti i risultati sono arrivati a rilento e il margine di vantaggio non è certo schiacciante.
Insomma, gli animi si sono surriscaldati e il governo in carica ha pensato bene di vietare alle stazioni radiotelevisive di dare troppe notizie live. Basta notiziari, "nell'interesse della sicurezza pubblica," ha detto il ministro degli interni John Michuki.
Ora, lo sappiamo tutti che in Africa la radio vanta episodi di fulgido attaccamento agli istinti più bestiali, culminato (verso il basso, si intende) con le trasmissioni della madre di tutte le hate radio, Radio Mille Collines. Dai microfoni di quella stazione rwandese partirono nel 1994 gli incitamenti al massacro dei Tutsi e molti di coloro che stavano dietro i microfoni dell'odio razziale sono poi finiti sul banco degli imputati del Tribunale penale internazionale per il Rwanda.
Ma quella esercitata in queste ore in Kenya somiglia più alla censura che all'odio.

*[Mi correggo, una dichiarazione ufficiale del capo delegazione dell'UE, Alexander Graf Lambsddorf, resa nota il 30, parla invece di conteggi ufficiosi non corrispondenti a quelli ufficiali. Intanto oggi 31 i morti aumentano e si va verso lo stato d'emergenza.]

Kenya suspends live broadcasts
30/12/2007 22:44 - (SA)

Nairobi - The Kenyan government on Sunday suspended all live radio and television news reports as riots spread across the country after President Mwai Kibaki's re-election, said the information ministry.
Ministry of information permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo said: "I am directed by the minister for internal security John Michuki that in the interest of public safety and tranquillity I order the immediate suspension of live broadcast until further notice.
"I am also directed to order that all media houses and journalists in general stop forthwith any broadcast of inciting or alarming material and take responsibility for such broadcasting with the law."
The measure was announced as disgruntled supporters of defeated presidential challenger Raila Odinga took to the streets in several cities across the country, including Nairobi and several opposition strongholds in western Kenya.
At least five people had been shot dead by police in western Kenya since the electoral commission on Sunday declared Kibaki's victory amid allegations of vote rigging.

Il Kenya ha smesso da tempo di essere una nazione facile da ascoltare alla radio. Un tempo le sue frequenze in banda tropicale dei 60 metri erano tra le più potenti e facili da ascoltare, ma questo accadeva diversi anni fa. Oggi la statale KBC si ascolta raramente e solo in onde medie. In compenso, in tutto il paese si moltiplica l'offerta di emittenti commerciali in FM. Proprio da una di queste, Capital FM di Nairobi, ho tratto il seguente l'articolo sulle speranze di vittoria di Odinga. Speranze frustrate dai duecentomila voti che lo separano - ufficialmente - dal rivale Kibaki (vincitore con 4,5 contro 4,3 milioni di preferenze). Odinga è un altro personaggio da film. Ingegnere meccanico, ha studiato a Lipsia e Magdeburgo quando queste due città facevano parte della DDR. Uno dei figli si chiama Fidel. Forse la decisione di sospendere tutti i reportage in diretta è stata dettata più dalla paura che una opposizione troppo vociferante potesse portare a una revisione dei conteggi elettorali, che dal timore di un effetto Mille Collines. La mancanza di notizie non dev'essere mai vista come un rischio per la democrazia, sempre che il senso di responsabilità dei giornalisti abbia sempre il sopravvento. Non bisogna dimenticare che i "commentatori" di Mille Collines erano pilotati da qualcuno, mentre in Kenya la situazione sembra completamente diversa. Speriamo che il governo in carica e il presidente rieletto scelgano di tornare sui propri passi.

Raila: End of the road

BY ANNE KIGUTA

NAIROBI, December 30 - Raila Amollo Odinga’s bid to oust President Mwai Kibaki from State House has failed.
The blow to his ambition was delivered at an Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) news conference, where President Mwai Kibaki was issued a second and final mandate to lead the Kenyan republic. When the ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu made the announcement at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), winners and losers alike were unable to restrain their emotions, which have been running high for several months now. Raila’s supporters at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) were outraged by the announcement, which relegated the man they had prematurely announced as president to the Leader of the Official Opposition.

The hope


At the early stages of the vote count, it seemed likely that Raila would clinch the coveted seat. Preliminary tallies by independent media and official results by the ECK had credited Raila with a commanding lead early Friday. In one of the counts by the ECK, Raila was at 300,000 votes ahead of the President. ODM had however announced its own version of the presidential tallies and went as far as to call on the President to concede defeat. But into late Saturday, the gap had begun to narrow significantly.
At the KICC nerve centre of ECK activities, ODM party agents were not taking kindly to the new pronouncements by the commission. Before they knew it, the bridge between the two contenders was 38,000 votes.
The media briefing where the latest toll was announced deteriorated into a shouting match between ODM agents and supporters of the Party of national Unity (PNU).
A day later, Raila, who had not made any public statement since he cast his vote, demanded a public recount of all tallies in the 210 constituencies.
He stated that this was the only way he would concede defeat.
“This kind of exercise and impasse can only be resolved by a national recount in Nairobi under the full glare of media watchfulness and the involvement of election observers,” Raila said making it clear that he would not go down easy.
And as tension mounted, particularly in areas perceived to be his strongholds, Raila appealed for calm countrywide: “This great nation of Kenya is greater than all of us and I want to appeal to our people to exercise restraint. Our nation must be a nation that respects the rule of law and order.”
But even at the thought of conceding defeat, Raila punched holes into the viability of a Kibaki administration saying it simply wouldn’t be practical in the 10th parliament.
He said the incumbent would be unable to run the House after ODM scooped a majority of seats in Thursday’s Election.
The Langata MP-elect pointed out: “The constitution says clearly that the president can only appoint members of other political parties with the express approval of that party. Faced with a minority like right now he will barely be in a position to negotiate and will begin to entice them by appointment in the cabinet without even consulting the parties.”


Early Years


The 62-year-old engineer has spent his life mainly as an opposition candidate. In the 60’s he secured a scholarship to study at a Technical University, in what was then known as East Germany.
Raila comes from a family of political strings. His father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga was Kenya's first vice president after independence and his brother Oburu Odinga is a parliamentarian.
Disagreements between the Odinga family began with the first Kenyan government, prompting and the late Jaramogi to become a key opposition figure against the governments of founding father Jomo Kenyatta and later President Daniel arap Moi.
And in his father’s footsteps Raila opposed Moi government’s single party rule earning him nine years in jail. He was charged with treason for the failed 1992 coup attempt, and fled to Norway under self exile.


The Quest for Presidency


Raila’s search for the top seat was first put to the test in 1997’s multiparty elections. He came in third after President Moi and Mwai Kibaki who was then the Democratic Party of Kenya (DP) candidate.
Undeterred by his loss, Raila began oiling his machinery for the 2002 General Election. But at a time when there was growing discontent in the Moi rule and when several opposition candidates had declared interest in the top seat, Raila who by then had emerged as a force in Kenyan politics played his cards close to the chest.
So it was an ambush for many opposition politicians at a time of deal-cutting when during a public rally in October of 2002 Raila endorsed Kibaki’s candidacy.
But the famous ‘Kibaki Tosha’ statement (translated literally to mean Kibaki will suffice as president) came back to sting Raila after he fell out with Kibaki, alleging claims that the latter did not honour a memorandum of understanding on power sharing.
As a result, Raila led a rebellion within cabinet culminating in his expulsion from the elite group of ministers and his vote hunt ever since to State House.

L'Africa ha ancora bisogno delle onde corte

Tempo fa avevo chiesto a Enirco Li Perni una breve intervista via mail, in modo da poter illustrare la sua attività in Kenya. Enrico è un OM e tecnico di radiofrequenza italiano trapiantato in Africa sudorientale, dove lavora per una società di ingegneria, Goldrock International che effettua installazioni e offre servizi di consulenza TLC/broadcast. Ha partecipato anche alla realizzazione di una stazione commerciale in FM e altri analoghi progetti sono previsti per il futuro, attraverso un'altra società, la ItelKenya. Avrei dovuto ricevere qualche fotografia, ma nell'attesa, per non fare invecchiare troppo la notizia e rilanciare l'appello di Enrico per una nuova politica della radiofonia sulle onde corte in Africa, ecco il testo dell'intervista. Ciò che il tecnico Li Perni afferma sulle presunte alternative alle onde corte dovrebbe farci riflettere: ci sono situazioni in Africa in cui una rete di emittenti in FM comporterebbe enormi problematiche di sicurezza degli impianti e logistica della installazione/manutenzione. E' veramente paradossale che la consapevolezza degli indubbi vantaggi delle HF in tali contesti sia venuta del tutto meno

Chi è Goldrock International e che cosa ha spinto un tecnico RF italiano a cercare nuove opportunità in Kenya?

Goldrock International è una società di proprietà di sudcoreani da oltre 20 anni in Kenya e una delle aziende leader in telecomunicazioni terrestri civili, militari e per aerolinee. Il proprietario è un amico di famiglia in quanto io abitavo già in Kenya negli anni Novanta. Serviva un project manager per installare una stazione HF per la locale compagnia aerea ed eccomi qui.

Ho sentito parlare di un primo progetto, una radio FM per la comunità italiana di Malindi. Come è nato questo progetto e quali obiettivi si prefigge? Ci sono altre stazioni analoghe costruzione in Kenya o nelle nazioni vicine?

Il progetto è nato per gioco, poi con l'aiuto della disponibilità di una frequenza libera già assegnata ma mai utilizzata da parte di un socio locale, pena la revoca, abbiamo deciso di impegnarla, Malindi era il posto dove la frequenza era assegnata ed anche la piccola colonia di italiani, i conti son tornati subito, mandare in onda il radio giornale in lingua italiana e poi inserire trasmissioni o contenuti prodotti in loco nelle lingue locali più parlate come l'inglese, swahili, giriama e mijighenda.
L'obbiettivo è di accorciare il cordone ombelicale con l'italia per i residenti e anche per divulgare notizie per i migliaia di turisti che tutto l'anno a rotazione visitano la zona. Ci sono in progetto altre stazioni in Kenya di questo tipo multiculturale e multilinguaggio, praticamente una babele, una radio di tutti e per tutti.

Qual è il suo punto di vista sull'uso delle onde corte da parte dei broadcaster internazionali? Le onde corte hanno ancora un ruolo nel contesto dei nuovi media e soprattutto dei nuovi sistemi di trasporto?

Le onde corte non sono morte, anzi, e la sanno lunga chi come la BBC VOA RCI etc. continua a usare questo importante modo di trasmissione, è un vero peccato che L'italia sia scomparsa dal mondo con lo spegnimento degli impianti in OC alle porte di Roma. Se avessi la possibilità di avere anche il 10% di quello che sarà abbandonato saprei farlo fruttare in Africa e tenere ancora viva la radio italiana, rilanciando il segnale anche a bassa potenza in Africa per gli italiani che sono a lavoro o missione in parti sperdute del continente, dove né FM né satellite sono fruibili.

Ci sono spazi per una radiofonia di tipo commerciale in onde corte? In Africa molti organismi di stato hanno abbandonato nel tempo le onde corte per privilegiare i network regionali in FM, si può pensare a un ritorno dell'uso di certe frequenze (sempre che sia finanziariamente proponibile nel terzo mondo)?

Ci sono ancora troppi paesi non maturi per abbandonare le OC, basti pensare il Sudan e la Somalia, lo Zimbabwe, è improponibile un network in FM e/o televisivo sia per problemi di sicurezza degli impianti, sia per via della logistica, strade, accesso ai ripetitori, manutenzione, approvvigionamento energia elettrica... Quindi una singola stazione ad OC sulle 3 frequenze principali per la copertura H24 del territorio o zona da servire è l'unica via possibile.
Domani [l'intervista risale a ottobre] per esempio vado in montagna sul lago Nakuru per l'installazione di una stazione FM. La nostra Squadra due invece monterà un'altra stazione FM ai pendici del Monte Kenya, installazione che non potrà essere fatta dopo il 15 ottobre causa impraticabilità delle stade per salire in montagna. Si pensi che i tecnici residenti rimarrano isolati per oltre due mesi aspettando la stagione secca, nel mese di Dicembre o l'unica via per tornare a valle è quella di percorrere 30 km a piedi e guadare i fiumi di fango (viva i tecnici della KBC, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation per la loro dedizione!).

Quali sono i suoi progetti in HF? Pensa di poter lanciare una iniziativa in tempi brevi?

Vorrei tanto che chi dismette questo tipo di impianti, non li abbandoni al loro destino, ma che tutto sia "riciclato" in aree dove ancora le OC sono l'unica fonte di informazione libera. Spero vivamente che qualcuno a Roma per il governo o per la stessa RAI possa leggere questo e possa con un piccolo contributo rendere un servizio mille volte più utile che non in ambito europeo, sono disponibile a farmi carico di parte degli impianti e di tenerli vivi a mie spese.