The latest news coming out of Kenya about the CNN PR and advertising deal the Kenyan government had inked before being portrayed as a terror hotbed is still strongly brewing.
Only a few days ago, a senior CNN official from Atlanta, one Tony Maddox, flew to Nairobi to formally offer the networkโs apologies for the negative portrayal of the country, very likely hoping to rescue the one-million-dollar deal which was to showcase Kenya for a year on the international network. He got a suitable public rebuke from Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta who summed up the countryโs bitter disappointment for having been portrayed as a country at war, seriously impacting on Kenyaโs reputation around the world and affecting tourism arrivals.
According to information received, however, it appears clear that very likely as a result of sustained public pressure, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) will now explore other options, and the CNN deal remains suspended. The KTBโs Managing Director, Muriithi Ndegwa, reportedly confirmed this when he was officiating at the annual Maralal Camel Derby yesterday. Several tourism stakeholders expressed their support for the governmentโs decision.