In Kenya, purveyors of press freedom are struggling.

The government there declared a media blackout when violence broke out as a result of bitter contention and opposition to over the 27 December elections, which saw the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki re-elected in what international observers called a flawed and questionable process.

It was in this fiery climate that prominent Kenyan blogger Ory Okolloh, who writes at Kenyanpundit.com, teamed up with friends to found Ushahidi.

The site allows anyone in Kenya with news of post-election violence to report it – via SMS, or e-mail. Then editors like Okolloh will then verify the report with local NGOs or other reputable sources before posting it. The homepage of the site features a map mash-up showing where incidents – like property damage, deaths, looting, government forces or peace efforts - have occurred.

Okolloh, a Kenyan who now resides in South Africa and holds a law degree from Harvard University, wrote on her blog,

“We believe that the number of deaths being reported by the government, police, and media is grossly underreported. We also don’t think we have a true picture of what is really going on - reports that all have us have heard from family and friends in affected areas suggests that things are much worse than what we have heard in the media”

Indeed, even BBC and Reuters reports from Kenya – where Kofi Annan, the former UN Secretary General, is now leading sequestered peace talks – often say the estimated death toll of 1,000 is likely too low. About 300,000 Kenyans are reported to have been displaced by the violence.

Annan has also declared a media blackout for these talks and moved them to a secret location outside the capital city of Nairobi.

The first blackout, banning live broadcasts of the violence, ended in the first week of February. During early stages of the post-election upheaval, broadcasters such as the state-owned Kenya Broadcasting Corporation which routinely act as a government mouthpiece, aired sitcoms like “Just for Laughs”, according to Okolloh’s blog.

This government tendency toward cloistering is why sites like Ushahidi – which means “witness” in Swahili - are necessary. The site, assembled in two days, is a prime example of the way mobile technology can be used for citizen journalism in places where the number of Internet users is low. The CIA World Factbook lists Kenya – whose population is around 36 million – with 2.77 million Internet users. That’s about 8 percent, compared with 6.485 million mobile phone users (18 percent).

Ushahidi is simple and easy to use. It includes a blog, a section where ways to help are pointed out and organised, plus about 15 pages of detailed reports of various incidents.

Such a site is a good example of how journalism in Kenya – and Africa in general - can address corruption, conflict resolution, poverty and other difficult topics. In some cases, the media has a role to play in applauding the progress that is made but often overlooked, such as efforts to tackle AIDS, poverty and crime and upholding democracy.

Media personnel in Africa often find themselves in the difficult position of wanting to speak the truth, but as can be seen in the post-election violence in Kenya, facing pressure to cater to the whims of politicians and groups that try to avoid any bad light shed on them.

Journalists trying to give a voice to unheard millions face numerous risks, usually life threatening. The National Union of Somali Journalists gave Somalia the dubious honour of being the most dangerous place for journalists with 2007 being the deadliest year yet.  A total of seven journalists lost their lives either in direct connection with their work or as a result of being caught in deadly crossfire. In the DRC, television and radio stations that attempt to criticize the actions of the government are summarily shut down. 30 journalists in Ethiopia have been forced into exile due to warrants that have been issued for their arrests. There are many more cases in the African continent where journalists trying to act as whistle-blowers and watchdogs have been faced with stiff opposition.

And the risks that journalists in Africa face continue to rise in magnitude. However, bodies such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Institute for Advancement in Journalism, the Kenya Union of Journalists and many others play a crucial role in campaigning for the safety and freedom of journalists. At the same time, institutions such as these play a regulatory role and hold journalists accountable for their professional behaviour.

Hopefully, such agencies – and journalists themselves - can begin to learn from sites like Ushahidi, which take advantage of Web 2.0 type applications and mobile technology to give a platform to the voices of the citizenry. These citizens are calling the Kenyan government to account over allegations of police brutality with protesters. The Kenyan people and the international community require more of this innovative journalism, more routes for reporting the truth.

- L. Onduru and K. Clore

Published: February 14, 2008