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Reality is that Kenya is Dangerous When the contestants for the third installment of Survivor face off in the wilds of Kenya, they will be competing in a country where there is chaos and turmoil. The upshot? Security concerns for Survivor: Africa are running high. After all, the east African nation is where, in August 1998, a terrorist bomb at the American embassy in Nairobi, the nation's capital, killed 213 people and injured thousands. Even today, the country has a spate of political violence and suffers from a soaring crime rate. Strife there was the subject of a disturbing 60 Minutes segment that aired the Sunday after CBS held a fall season preview party at New York City's Carnegie Hall. The star attraction of the gala? Survivor: Africa. Carol Marin, a CBS News correspondent on assignment for 60 Minutes, told the tale of Father John Kaiser, an activist Roman Catholic priest from Minnesota who died of a gunshot wound to the head last August. A longtime African missionary, Kaiser was a vocal critic of the Kenyan government. He had openly accused President Daniel Arap Moi's regime of escalating tribal tensions, which resulted in ethnic cleansing and other atrocities before the country's first multiparty elections in the early 1990s. According to the report, the Kenyan government claimed Kaiser's death was a suicide. But his friends and family - as well as congressional investigators - believe his death was the result of a hit ordered by the Kenyan government. Meanwhile, both houses of Congress passed unanimous resolutions condemning the "assassination" of Father Kaiser. Kaiser's tragic demise was hardly an isolated incident. A recent State Department report highlights incidents in which tourists have been the targets of armed assailants throughout the country. According to the report, U.S. officials in Kenya continue to be concerned about "possible targeting of Americans for kidnapping or assassination" by terrorist groups operating within the country. It is certain that the Kenya executive producer Mark Burnett plans to portray will appear a world away from the political mayhem and criminal violence. "I'm apolitical," Burnett says during a phone interview from a location in Kenya he declines to disclose. "I don't know what the politics of President Moi are. I think we will be a lot safer here than we would be in most American cities. What's the perception of a lot of foreigners about America when they hear about Waco? Our location is perfectly safe. You see so many tourists here having the dream vacation of a lifetime, just marveling in all this natural beauty." "We are very mindful of dangers inherent in Kenya," says CBS communications vice president Chris Ender, adding, "And we have tremendous faith in Mark Burnett that everything will be done in a safe and conscientious manner." An industry source says safety concerns are running so high inside CBS that the security budget for Survivor received a hefty increase. Burnett says that in the "closed national park" that is the site of the upcoming series, both government and private security personnel will be keeping watch. Burnett says he has worked closely with the Kenyan government and has consulted with the U.S. ambassador, Johnnie Carson. All have been supportive of efforts to bring Survivor to the country, he says. But the Survivor creator seems far more concerned with prowling journalists gaining access and giving away the show's secrets than any terrorists. "We chose to come here because Africa is such an iconic location," says Burnett. "It's so culturally rich here in Kenya, where you have people like the Masai with these incredible traditions. And then you have the abundance of giraffes, lions, zebras and elephants. We say with Survivor that after the 16 contestants, the 17th character is the land - and this place will make an amazing character." However, human rights activists wonder how real Survivor's characterization of Kenya will be. "We would never say, 'Boycott Kenya,'" says Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, an organization that has long chronicled a wide array of major governmental abuse of civil rights in Kenya. "The more people are exposed to what's going on there, the better in the long run to make it an open society. "If Survivor is going to a place with serious human rights abuses, it can't just whitewash the whole political situation," he says. "If [it] gives a full picture of the situation in Kenya, it would be doing a real service." But Survivor is a game show, not a news magazine. Burnett has no intention of exposing Kenya's political strife. "That's not my job," he says. "I'm in the entertainment business. We're going to do plenty of good for Kenya. We'll increase tourism. That not only brings in much-needed revenue but spurs a country like Kenya to protect the environment for people to come and enjoy." While Burnett has no desire to show more about Kenya than the beauty of its wildlife and terrain, he believes the show's popularity is bound to put the spotlight on problems there. "With the attention we draw, news organizations will be taking a look at other aspects of Kenya," says Burnett. "We don't even debut until October, and TV Guide is primarily an entertainment magazine, and already you're doing it." Survivor III / Ultimate Africa Safaris
At Ultimate Africa Safaris we know how to start a fire using two stones and springhare droppings...we know how to carry fire for weeks at a time in ostrich eggs...we know how to make a fish hook and line from the thorn tree and how to cure a stomach ache with a handful of leaves...We know Africa first hand. Canoe with hippo and crocodile; raft the world's most challenging white water beneath the world's largest waterfall; track lion and elephant on foot; interact with locals in their villages; experience Africa; Contact our office... If you are interested in traveling to Africa contact Ultimate Africa Safaris in Seattle, Washington, USA. Our expert safari consultants have hands on experience in Africa. Call Toll Free in the USA 1 800 461 0682 or send an email to info@ultimateafrica.com |
