Web App Tracks Violence in Kenya
Posted on January 15, 2008 - Filed Under Kenya, citizen journalism |
Reporters from the established media are unable to cover and track each act of violence that takes place in Kenya. Now, they don’t have to. Thanks to Ushahidi.com people can report on an incident as they witness it. This remarkable form of citizen journalism, allows for more comprehensive accounting of the violence that is occurring in Kenya. For the last few days this site has provided the most accurate and up-to-date reporting on what is happening on the ground throughout the country.
Ushahidi.com is a tool for people who witness acts of violence in Kenya in these post-election times. You can report the incident that you have seen, and it will appear on a map-based view for others to see. The site is working with local Kenyan NGO’s to get information and to verify each incident.
The site lets anyone on the in Kenya complete an incident report (death, riots, hunger, looting, etc) either online or via text message. Using a network of NGO’s and volunteers it then trys to verify those reports. Each incident is displayed on a Google map.
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3 Responses to “Web App Tracks Violence in Kenya”
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Sad! When I see all that is happenning in Kenya, My heart crys. Such a country, with so good an economy we knew, with so much loving and careing people, but now look at what (dirty)politics have done.
sometimes I would rather believe the statement that “Politics are a dirty game played by ugly men”. Surely, look at the number of people who have died, isn’t that all ugly, what do they mean when they say sacrifice for freedom, what’s there to sacrifice for?
While, my heart beeds for a million young people and children; there education, there future, were is it heading?
God Help Kenya!
As far as the post election skirmishes are concerned it is not fair to place both Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga on equal footing of blame. One is the aggressor whose action of rigging the election has brought the country to where it is right now and the other, is a victim who is being pushed by the so called peace loving to legitimize the vote theft for the sake of peace. Whereas both have a role to play to avert the senseless blood letting about to occur, pressure must be applied to the thief to recognize that stealing what does not belong to you is itself criminal and has consequences. Kenyans and the world at large and especially religious leaders should exert pressure for Mwai Kibaki to do the right thing. He is the one who hurriedly swore himself in after his topped up election victory. What do you expect of Raila Odinga to do? It is the poor Kenyans who voted who are demanding justice. Blaming Raila is a waste of time since he doesnt have the instruments of power. The buck stops with Mwai Kibaki.
David Juma
P.O. Box 46973,
NAirobi Kenya
It is very much disappointing to see International community is playing down stealing of votes as a normal thing and in its place calls for sharing of power!
This is a very dangerous presedence because it will encourage African leaders to steal. No sane leader will concede defeat while knowing that doing so will amount to loosing all power base while the other alternative of stealing, though at the expense of poor citizens who will have to loose their lives and property, will guarantee you a share of power with the guy from whom you have stolen!
The only logical solution to this dillema is either to recount the presidential votes if they are still safe and intact or repeat the presidential election so that to tell thieves in no uncertain terms that their act are completely undesirable.
If international community really need to help us fighting poverty and improve the standards of our people, then let the Africans have a say in choice of their presidents. The thieves will not act in the interest of the people since they still can hold on to power without being elected by the people and there will not be any motivation, therefore, for these thieves to serve their people better and better.