May 26, 2023
Kenya: Did Kenya's Nairobi County Buy Ksh1 Billion Worth of Stationery? No, Document Is Fake
IN SHORT: A document circulating on Facebook claims the Nairobi county office bought stationery from a company for more than KSh1 billion. But the county governor has dismissed it… Read more »
Kenya: Did Kenya's Nairobi County Buy Tender for Ksh1 Billion Worth of Stationery? No, Document Is Fake
IN SHORT: A document circulating on Facebook claims the Nairobi county office bought stationery from a company for more than KSh1 billion. But the county governor has dismissed it… Read more »
Kenya: Is Kenya's Nuru Gas Company Looking for 'Passionate Workers' to Hire? No, Viral Job Ads Are a Scam
IN SHORT: One of the signs of an online job scam is when applicants are asked to pay a fee "for registration". This is the case in Facebook posts circulating in Kenya, where the… Read more »
Kenya: Beware of Fake Facebook Page Promising Big Discounts On Water Tanks in Kenya
If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That's the case for a Facebook page and website offering unusually high discounts on Roto water tanks - they're bogus. Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari Has Not Dissolved Federal Executive Council
IN SHORT: Muhammadu Buhari is due to hand over the Nigerian presidency to Bola Tinubu on 29 May 2023, and it was widely expected he would dissolve the federal executive council at… Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigeria's Ministry of Interior Hasn't Asked Nigerians to Get a Certificate for Enduring President Buhari's Two Terms in Office
IN SHORT: A document is circulating on social media in Nigeria, asking citizens to go to their local government headquarters to get a certificate that they have survived Muhammadu… Read more »
May 25, 2023
Africa: No, Hackers Can't Copy Your Contact List or Steal Banking Details Simply By Phoning You - Ignore Widely Shared Claim
IN SHORT: A message dating as far back as 2012 is once again circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, warning the public not to answer or call back numbers with certain country codes.… Read more »
Kenya: Did Lawyer Miguna Miguna Say President's Diplomacy Was 'Shambolic'? No, Quote Fabricated
IN SHORT: After a series of blunders, a top lawyer has criticised Kenyan president William Ruto and his cabinet, according to a graphic circulating online. But the news card is… Read more »
May 24, 2023
Africa: No, Pandemic Treaty Still a Rough Draft, Doesn't Give World Health Organization 'Control Over Entire World'
The World Health Organization's voluntary pandemic treaty lays out ways countries could cooperate to prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics. It doesn't hand all power… Read more »
Nigeria: No, U.S. Broadcaster CNN Hasn't Projected Peter Obi As Nigeria's President-Elect Instead of Bola Tinubu
IN SHORT: With Bola Tinubu's inauguration as Nigeria's president set for 29 May 2023, misinformation about his election victory continues to circulate on Facebook. One of these… Read more »
May 23, 2023
Africa: No, Pfizer Didn't Admit It Lied About Testing Efficacy of COVIS Vaccine
A claim that pharmaceutical company Pfizer has admitted to lying about testing the effectiveness of its Covid vaccine is still circulating on social media in South Africa. But this… Read more »
Nigeria: Photoshopped Image Claims Nigerian Chef Officially Declared Guinness World Record Holder for Cooking Marathon
IN SHORT: Several posts have claimed that chef Hilda Bassey, popularly known as Hilda Baci, has set a new cooking record. However, the image used as evidence is photoshopped - her… Read more »
May 22, 2023
Nigeria: Nigerians, Ignore Fake Registration Advert for Lagos State Internship Programme
IN SHORT: Unemployed young people in Nigeria are being warned not to fall for an advert asking them to register for a Lagos state internship programme. Officials say applications… Read more »
May 19, 2023
Kenya: X-Ray Shows Cockroach in Patient's Chest? No, Old Hoax - the Original Image Has Been Online Since 2010
Viral social media posts claiming an X-ray shows a cockroach in the chest of a Kenyan patient are a version of an old hoax from 2012. Read more »
Kenya: Viral Graphic Quoting Opposition Leader Raila Odinga Saying 'I Love Demons' Is Fake - Original Quote Edited
Fake media graphics are increasingly circulating on Kenyan social media platforms. A graphic quoting opposition leader Raila Odinga saying he loves demons is one example. Read more »
Kenya: Video Shows Residents of Northern Wajir Region Protesting Over Police Killings, Not Maize Meal Prices
A video shared on Twitter in early May 2023 purporting to show protesters in Wajir, Kenya, demanding cheaper maize flour was about something else entirely. Read more »
Kenya: No, Photo Doesn't Show Alleged Kenyan Cult Leader's House 'Built By Followers'
A Facebook post claims to show a luxury home in the Kenyan coastal city Mombasa, owned by cult leader Paul Mackenzie. But the page impersonates president William Ruto's daughter,… Read more »
Kenya: Beware of Fake Facebook Account Running Promotions in the Name of Kenya's Nakuru County Woman Representative Liz Chelule
IN SHORT: Given the legislator's leadership position, many would be easily fooled if she were to offer promotions and loans. But this is a fake account. Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenya's Nation Newspaper Didn't Quote Opposition Leader Kalonzo Musyoka As Breaking Ranks With Azimio Coalition Leader Raila Odinga
Musyoka has backed Odinga's bid for the presidency in Kenya's last three elections. But a graphic suggesting he is now eyeing the top job for himself in 2027 is fake. Read more »
May 18, 2023
Kenya: Did Kenya's Prime Cabinet Secretary Criticise Own Government Over Controversial House Tax? No, Video Is From 2019
A video circulating online shows Musalia Mudavadi criticising the government over a proposed housing levy. But this is an old video of him criticising a previous government. Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenya's Education Minister Has Not Announced That 29 - to 35-Year-Old Kenyans Will Rewrite Major High School Exam
IN SUMMARY: While there have been concerns about cheating in exams, a claim that Kenyans who sat for a secondary school leaving exam years ago would be forced to retake it comes… Read more »
May 16, 2023
Kenya: Kenyans Beware! Ignore Facebook Account Impersonating Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja, Promising Money and Gifts
It is unlikely that a public official of the Nairobi governor's stature would run promotions offering cash prizes on his official social media accounts. Johnson Sakaja has only one… Read more »
Kenya: No, Photo of Kenyan Cult Leader Paul Mackenzie Wearing a T-Shirt With the Orange Democratic Movement Logo Has Been Altered
IN SHORT: Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie has been in detention since April 2023. However, there is no evidence to support online claims that he is being persecuted for his… Read more »
Kenya: No, Kenyan President William Ruto Hasn't Ordered Closure of Ai Chatbot ChatGPT, Online Graphic Is Fake
The artificial intelligence chatbot has taken the world by storm. But claims that Kenya's leader is so worried about its effect on students that he has banned it in the country are… Read more »
Nigeria: No, Nigerian Bank Verification Numbers Won't Expire After 10 Years
A TikTok video circulating on Facebook in Nigeria claims that the bank verification number (BVN) introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) expires after 10 years. Read more »