April 28, 2023
Uganda: No, Ugandan State Minister Agnes Nandutu Didn't Try to Escape From Prison
IN SHORT: A scandal involving politicians skimming off roofing sheets meant for Uganda's poor continues to captivate the public. But claims that a minister, detained by the police,… Read more »
South Africa: No, Russian President Vladimir Putin Did Not Wish Former South African President Jacob Zuma Happy Birthday
IN SHORT: Much has been made of the South African government's close ties to Russia following news that the country will host Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2023. But images… Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu Not 'Serving 10-Year Jail Term' in the UK, Yet to Be Sentenced
IN SHORT: A kidney transplant saga ended with the senator and two co-conspirators convicted. But the three have not yet been sentenced. Read more »
Kenya: No, Photo Doesn't Show Suspected Cult Leader Attending Religious Ceremony at President's Residence
IN SHORT: In April 2023 Kenya was gripped by horrifying developments in the coastal county of Kilifi, where dozens of bodies have been exhumed, apparently members of a Christian… Read more »
April 27, 2023
Nigeria: 'Blame Peter Obi If I Fail to Become Senate President'? No, Quote Attributed to Nigerian Senator Orji Uzor Kalu Is False
IN SHORT: As Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi challenges the 2023 presidential election result in court, the spotlight is on the political race to lead the senate. But a… Read more »
Kenya: No, Photo of Kenya's First Lady Rachel Ruto At Prayer Meeting With Suspected Cult Leader Paul Mackenzie Is Fake, Doctored
IN SHORT: Kenya has been gripped by horrifying developments in the coastal county of Kilifi, where dozens of bodies have been exhumed, apparently members of a Christian death cult.… Read more »
Kenya: Veteran Kenyan Politician Raila Odinga Appointed Security Company Chair? No, Impersonator Accounts Share Altered Image
IN SHORT: A claim that the former Kenyan presidential candidate has been picked to head an international private security firm is based on a doctored image. Read more »
Nigeria: Still No Evidence of UK Government Apology to Nigerian Presidential Candidate Peter Obi Over Heathrow Airport Detention
IN SHORT: An embarrassing incident where leading Nigerian politician Peter Obi was detained in the UK attracted plenty of news coverage. But the UK has not apologised, despite… Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigeria's Financial Crimes Commission Did Not Arrest Former Minister of Aviation in April 2023
IN SHORT: Despite claims on social media, Nigeria's former minister of aviation hasn't been arrested in 2023 - the rumours hark back to an incident in November 2021. Read more »
Nigeria: No, Viral Photo of Tricycle Not Made By Nigerian Local Car Company Innoson
IN SHORT: Tricycles are popular in Nigeria, which is why a head-turning design would make news and be a feather in the country's manufacturing cap. Read more »
April 26, 2023
Kenya: Ignore Scam Facebook Account Impersonating Kenya's First Lady and Offering Loans
Sometimes our attempts to debunk false Facebook pages and fake loan offers feel futile. But when we spotted the same phone number used on a page we debunked just a week ago, we… Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenya's Citizen TV Didn't Report That Governor of Kisumu County Anyang' Nyong'o Revealed His HIV Status
IN SHORT: A short-lived decision by Twitter to remove verification badges left many media organisations vulnerable to impersonation, before the policy was partly reversed. One of… Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigeria's Supreme Court Hasn't Ruled in Favour of Peter Obi's Labour Party As Video Claims
IN SHORT: A video circulating on social media in Nigeria claims that the country's supreme court has ruled on a controversial petition to overturn Bola Tinubu's victory in the… Read more »
Kenya: Emaciated Victims of Kenyan Starvation 'Cult'? No, Photo From Uganda
IN SHORT: In a shocking story that has attracted international attention, the bodies of several members of a reclusive church have been exhumed in Kenya. But one photo making the… Read more »
Kenya: Doctored Video of Us President Joe Biden Supposedly Condemning Transgender Women Still Making the Rounds
IN SHORT: A supreme court ruling on freedom of association for the gay community has dominated public debate in Kenya since February 2023. But an altered video appearing to show… Read more »
Kenya: Is Former Us President Barack Obama Relocating to Kenya? No, It's an April Fools' Day Joke
IN SHORT: There is no evidence that former US president Barack Obama will move to Kenya in June 2023. The article was meant as a joke, but some social media users believed it. Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenya's Inua Jamii Programme Does Not Give Loans - Facebook Account and Page Fake
IN SHORT: Kenyan social media is awash with fake Facebook pages and accounts making bogus offers. This account and page are trying to profit by using the name of a Kenyan… Read more »
Africa: Are You At Risk of Catching Leptospirosis When Drinking From a Tin Can? No, Ignore False Warning
IN SHORT: The claim that dried mouse urine found on tin cans could infect people with leptospira has resurfaced on Facebook. But the bacteria that causes the infectious disease… Read more »
April 25, 2023
Kenya: Viral Screenshot of Tweet Targeting Kenyan Citizen TV Journalist Not From TV Channel but 'Parody' Account
IN SHORT: A snapshot of the effect of Twitter changing its verification policy was seen on Kenyan social media in April 2023, when an account impersonating Citizen TV tweeted an… Read more »
Kenya: Beware of Yet Another Imposter Facebook Page Offering 'Inua Jamii' Loans
IN SHORT: The Kenyan government aid programme Inua Jamii is frequently impersonated on Facebook, targeting the desperate and vulnerable. This page in the programme's name is… Read more »
Africa: Vaccines Do Not Cause Magnetism, No Evidence Government Is 'Secretly Injecting the Vaccine Into Meat'
IN SHORT: No vaccines - including ones against Covid-19 - cause the vaccinated to become magnetised, whether human or animal. And there's no government plot to inject meat with… Read more »
April 24, 2023
Kenya: No, Time Magazine Didn't Include Kenyan President William Ruto As One of 'The 50 Most Influential People in the World' - Cover Is Fake
IN SHORT: Every year US news magazine Time publishes a list of the 100 most influential people in the world. They didn't change their list to 50 in 2023, and they didn't include… Read more »
April 20, 2023
Kenya: Misleading Tiktok Videos Falsely Claim National Assembly Leader Has Apologised for Supporting Governing Party in 2023
IN SHORT: Videos on TikTok claim that Kimani Ichung'wah has apologised for supporting Kenya's governing United Democratic Alliance. Such a political development would be… Read more »
Kenya: Don't Be Conned By Facebook Page Impersonating Kenyan President William Ruto and Offering Loans
IN SHORT: A Facebook page trying to profit off the Kenyan president's reputation as a "hustler" claims to offer loans through a government scheme that gives grants to the… Read more »
Kenya: Don't Be Fooled By a Facebook Account Pretending to Be Run By Kenya's Citizen TV News Anchor Rashid Abdalla
IN SHORT: An account in the name of a Citizen TV news anchor promises a reward of KSh150,000 - a substantial sum for many - but you have to pay to get it. This is a scam and should… Read more »