When Cable News Network (CNN) report tagged Kenya a ‘hotbed of terror’ ahead of President Obama’s visit to his home country for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in July, little did CNN know that it had unsettled a hive of bees ready to sting.

Kenyans wasted no time in taking the news agency to the cleaners on social media for the smear. Immediately the #someonetellcnn hash tag started trending on twitter with Kenyans on Twitter taking corrective jibes at CNN for its flub.

Not only did Kenyans react, the Kenyan government also protracted the multi-million advertisement deal it had with the cable news network.

In a bid to ease things back into normalcy, The CNN’s Global Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Tony Maddox paid a personal visit to deliver an apology on behalf of CNN international. While at the State House, Nairobi, Maddox expressed regret at the smear brought upon Kenya and Kenyans through the broadcast carried by CNN. He further admitted that the misrepresentation was not only undeserved but also ill fitting.

While receiving Maddox, Kenya President- Uhuru Kenyatta spoke plainly in rebuking CNN for their blunder. He summed up the country’s bitter disappointment for having been portrayed as a country at war, seriously impacting on Kenya’s reputation around the world and affecting tourism arrivals.

An update on the President’s Facebook page reads “In one stroke, CNN’s description of Kenya as a ‘hotbed of terror’ undermined the sacrifices made by our Kenyan troops, and the value of hundreds of lives lost, and relegated them to nothing.”

However, despite the move by CNN, the Kenyan government is yet to broach discussions on the protracted deal.