Twenty years after the Windhoek Declaration on press freedom

Blogging is <strong>the</strong> most African thing to
do online
By Daudi Were
Daudi Khamadi Were is a technology
and digital media strategist based in
Nairobi. He is passionate about Africa
and is concerned about <strong>the</strong> state of
<strong>the</strong> relationship between <strong>the</strong> people
of Africa and <strong>the</strong>ir leaders. Daudi
spends most of his time working
on innovative ways technology can
be used to help solve problems in
society and communities across <strong>the</strong>
world. He is regularly recognised as
one of <strong>the</strong> most influential African
bloggers, and he writes at www.
mentalacrobatics.com.
112 | Media in Africa - 2011
Few things scare <strong>the</strong> 21st century
African man in his 20s. At <strong>the</strong> peak
of his physical power, energetic,
ambitious, aware and articulate, this
man believes he is <strong>the</strong> prime of his
life. Men in <strong>the</strong> prime of <strong>the</strong>ir lives,
in a truth universally acknowledged,
start searching for a wife, or more
specifically a woman whom <strong>the</strong>y
hope to convince to become <strong>the</strong>ir
wife, and it is in this process that <strong>the</strong>
real meaning of decision-making
through discussion comes to life.
For if <strong>the</strong>re is one thing that scares
<strong>the</strong>se normally unflustered young
men across <strong>the</strong> continent it is <strong>the</strong>
fear of dowry negotiations.
Dowry negotiations provide a
modern reminder of how decisions
were arrived at in traditional African
society. Delicate discussions on
firmly-held positions, unspoken
protocols, respect for different
traditions and above all <strong>the</strong> need to
listen carefully, consider alternative
positions, and to offer concessions
so as to arrive a mutually acceptable
agreement.
This central maxim, that o<strong>the</strong>rs have
opinions that are worth listening to,
that o<strong>the</strong>rs have opinions that must
be listened to, and that o<strong>the</strong>rs have
opinions which when we consider
<strong>the</strong>m may make us change our
previously strongly-held opinions,
lies at heart of <strong>the</strong> growth of citizen
media in Africa.
In 2002, for example, I wrote (in
very respectful tones I assure you)
to one of our TV broadcasters in
Kenya to complain about <strong>the</strong>ir
unofficial policy of refusing to give
coverage to <strong>the</strong> <strong>the</strong>n opposition
presidential candidate, Mwai Kibaki.
The message I received in response
told me to “watch out as we now
know your name”.
In response I started <strong>the</strong> Kenyan
Blogs Webring, which now has close
to 1000 bloggers, all providing an
alternative view on life in Kenya.
In <strong>the</strong> country’s 2007 general
election, <strong>the</strong> same broadcaster,
demonstrating that consistency
may not be <strong>the</strong> best measure of
effectiveness or progress, was now
saturated with coverage of <strong>the</strong>
now President, Mwai Kibaki, while
ignoring <strong>the</strong> opposition presidential
candidates.
“The message I
received in response
told me to ‘watch out
as we now know your
name’.”
During <strong>the</strong> chaos that followed
<strong>the</strong> election, <strong>the</strong>y aired Mexican
soap operas and European football.
The fires that were burning on <strong>the</strong>
streets, <strong>the</strong> effects <strong>the</strong> violence was
having on <strong>the</strong> large informal economy,
<strong>the</strong> uprooting of communi-