January 27, 2023
Nigeria: No, Nigeria's Central Bank Hasn't Ordered Politicians to Give Old Banknotes to 'Poor Masses'
IN SHORT: A banknote redesign has caused jitters in Nigeria. But it's not true that the Central Bank of Nigeria claimed politicians had stashes of the old currency and demanded… Read more »
Nigeria: No Evidence That Okra Steeped in Water Will Help You Get Pregnant
IN SHORT: Okra is nutritious and has other health benefits. But there's no proof that it "boosts" ovulation, a natural once-a-month process where a single mature egg is released… Read more »
January 26, 2023
Tanzania: No, Tanzanian President Suluhu Not Dead - Facebook Post Clickbait to Increase YouTube Views
IN SHORT: The leader of the East African country has not died, as a message on Facebook breathlessly - and maliciously - claims. Read more »
Kenya: Ignore Scam Facebook Page Impersonating Kenyan President Ruto
IN SHORT: Another year, another Facebook page offering Kenyans loans in the name of a famous politician. Beware Kenyans, president William Ruto is not handing out quick loans on a… Read more »
Kenya: No, Viral Photos Don't Show Former Kenyan Cabinet Secretary 'A Few Days' Before Recent Death
IN SHORT: George Magoha is unsmiling in the photos, and Facebook users are asking why "no one reached out to him". But the pics were snapped in 2019, not a few days before the… Read more »
January 24, 2023
Kenya: Kenya's Kiambu County Governor Backs Controversial Dam Despite Residents' Opposition? No, Graphic Fake
IN SHORT: Tempers have flared in the populous Kenyan county of Kiambu over the proposed construction of a dam. But a national TV station did not report that the county governor had… Read more »
Kenya: No, Scam Facebook Group 'Hon Rachel Chebet Loans' Not Run By Kenya's First Lady
IN SHORT: Rachel Ruto, the wife of Kenyan president William Ruto, is involved in several social projects. But lurking on Facebook, dispensing loans, is not one of them. Read more »
Kenya: Ignore Scam Facebook Page Impersonating Popular Kenyan Preacher
IN SHORT: Prayers for cash? Pastor Ezekiel Odera can fill stadiums, so it's unlikely that he'd beg for money on a clumsy Facebook page that misspells his name. Read more »
Africa: No, Weight-Loss Rings Sold On Facebook Just Another Scam, Like Other Magnetic Jewellery
IN SHORT: Despite presenting an overwhelming amount of information about what they're supposedly made of and how they work, rings sold with the promise of "weight loss" or health… Read more »
January 23, 2023
Nigeria: Influencer Makes Misleading Claims About Presidential Candidates' Promises to Vote-Rich Northern Nigeria
A Twitter influencer compared the promises supposedly made by the three presidential frontrunners to northern Nigerians ahead of the 2023 election. We checked his claims. Read more »
January 20, 2023
Kenya: Beware of Suspicious Facebook Page Impersonating Popular Kenyan YouTuber
IN SHORT: Facebook is awash with misleading pages and posts offering quick loans to social media users. Unfortunately posts on a page claiming to be made by popular Kenyan YouTuber… Read more »
Nigeria: No Evidence Young Nigerian Became First Black Woman to Perform a 30-Minute Human Heart Transplant, With Her Studies Funded By Peter Obi
IN SHORT: There's no evidence that a young Nigerian woman, whose studies were funded by presidential candidate Peter Obi, was the first black woman to perform a human heart… Read more »
January 19, 2023
Kenya: No, the Teachers Service Commission - Kenya's Largest Public Employer - Hasn't Appointed a New Boss
IN SHORT: The leadership of the Teachers Service Commission, one of Kenya's 10 constitutional commissions, is keenly watched. A claim that the agency has a new chief is false. Read more »
Kenya: Beware of Facebook Page Impersonating Kenyan Digital Credit Provider
IN SHORT: Facebook users should be wary of offers that sound too good to be true. Unfortunately, what appear to be loans from digital credit provider Zenka Kenya are not… Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenyan Consumer Goods Giant Bidco Africa Not Hiring for These Positions, Job Ad Is a Scam
IN SHORT: As job seekers look for openings at the start of the year, they should steer clear of ads posted on social media claiming that Bidco Africa, a major consumer goods maker… Read more »
Nigeria: Dangote Didn't Profess Eternal Gratitude to Ruling Party Candidate Tinubu for Helping Him 'Set Up' U.S.$20bn Oil Refinery
IN SHORT: In elections in Africa, as across the world, money makes a difference. Having infinite resources would give a candidate an edge. But a quote allegedly by Nigerian… Read more »
Nigeria: No Evidence Nigeria's Benue State Governor Said He Withheld Workers' Pay Over Holidays to Stop Them Getting Drunk
IN SHORT: As Nigeria's elections near, politicians continue to be falsely quoted. One jarring statement attributed to governor Samuel Ortom is false. Read more »
January 18, 2023
Uganda: Beware Facebook Account Abusing Name of Uganda's Deputy Prisons Chief
IN SHORT: Five months after Samuel Akena was appointed as the new deputy commissioner general of prisons, a Facebook account with his name popped up. But it's not his. Read more »
Kenya: Ignore Scam Facebook Page Impersonating Governor of Kenya's Uasin Gishu County
IN SHORT: A Facebook page using county governor Jonathan Bii Chelilim's name offers low interest loans and free motorcycles. Don't fall for it. Read more »
Kenya: Fact-Checking Kenyan President Ruto's First Roundtable With Journalists
A few months into his first term, William Ruto discussed his administration with the media. But did he get his facts right? Read more »
Nigeria: No Evidence Former Army Chief Danjuma Has Endorsed Obi for Nigeria's Presidency
IN SHORT: Nigeria's 2023 presidential election is just weeks away, and the false claims keep flowing. This time, it's a claim that prominent former army chief TY Danjuma has… Read more »
Nigeria: No Nigeria, No Evidence Controversial Chair of Lagos Parks and Garages Said 'Non-Indigenes' Should Leave Lagos State If Ruling Party Loses the Governorship Election
IN SHORT: Nigerian social media is awash with fake quotes and misinformation ahead of the country's February 2023 elections. But if a quote is published with no details of when and… Read more »
January 17, 2023
Africa: Yes, You Can Drink Too Much Water and It Can Be Lethal
IN SHORT: A viral post on Facebook suggests that you can do yourself serious damage by drinking too much water. And the warning is accurate - water intoxication can lead to… Read more »
Africa: Beware Fraudsters Using Photos of Sick and Disabled People to Scam 'Donations'
IN SHORT: Scammers often appeal to our emotions to con us out of money - the desperation of job seekers or the compassion we feel for the suffering of others. Personal Facebook… Read more »
Africa: No, How Often You Have Sex Does Not Change the 'Tightness' of Your Vagina
IN SHORT: A post on Facebook warning women not to have sex too often as it will change the shape or "tightness" of the vagina is misleading. There is no evidence that sex causes a… Read more »