GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT DO HOSPITALITY SOURCES TELL THE STAR NEWSPAPER
(Posted 15th July 2017)
Nairobi’s Star newspaper came under immediate fire when allegations were made that the Jacaranda Hotel was involved in the alleged Cholera outbreak at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre in the heart of Nairobi. The story got widespread coverage through conventional and social media as a Cabinet Secretary was among those affected besides dozens of other people who had taken food at an exhibition event.
The hotel group’s CEO Mr. Killian Lugwe took immediate steps to have the paper retract their allegations and himself filed a counter statement, which is shown below.
This correspondent during his last visit actually had a lunch at the Jacaranda Hotel’s newly renovated ‘The Node‘ and subsequently filed a TripAdvisor review, the link of which is shown below. Not only was the food extremely well presented and tasty but, being permitted to visit the kitchen, was it patently obvious that despite ongoing food production was the entire area kept clean and sanitary no doubt meeting hygienic standards to the fullest extent.
Feedback from within the hospitality industry also ruled out this or any other licenced hotel due to stringent health inspections and regular examinations of the staff working in food production. In fact did the Kenya Tourism Federation come out strongly in support of Jacaranda Hotels who are a long time member of the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers.
Said KTF Chairman Mohammed Hersi: ‘On behalf of Kenya Tourism Federation we would like to strongly condemn a media house that tagged Jacaranda Hotel Nbi to the regrettable incident of alleged cholera infection.
We have confirmed that Jacaranda Hotels were never in any way associated with the events at KICC nor did any of their employees taken ill.
Jacaranda Hotels will legally pursue the matter.
We however also express our serious concerns regarding cases of cholera that keep coming up. Cholera is not any other disease hence both National and County goverment must now address the source of the problem. The damage this is causing to a sensitive tiurism industry can no longer be ignored.
We want to see action and we want answers.
To media Kenya please only report what is factual, hearsay and information that is not verified only makes an already bad situation worse.
Mohammed Hersi
Chairman
Kenya Tourism Federation.
End quote
Below is shown the misleading article by the Star, which truth told lacks any journalistic skills and can best be described as a product of wild imaginations which sprang from an amateur mind keen on sensationalism but not from a professional writer.
It was also ascertained that no one from the newspaper had contacted the Jacaranda Hotel for a comment before filing the story, again a major violation of journalistic principles.
