IN SHORT: A viral image allegedly showing a cracked expressway pillar on a major road in the Kenyan capital is circulating on Facebook. But it is neither recent nor real. We traced it back to an Instagram page that creates visual effects content. The image predates the May 2025 tremor.
Posts about deep cracks in a pillar supporting the Nairobi Expressway in Kenya continue to make the rounds on Facebook.
One post reads: "BREAKING NEWS avoid express way near nyayo stadium."
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The claim is circulating alongside a photo of what appears to be a damaged bridge pillar.
The 27.1-kilometre Nairobi Expressway is a toll road designed to ease traffic congestion in Kenya's capital by providing a direct connection between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Westlands area of the city. Completed in 2022, it features both elevated and ground-level sections and multiple interchanges to facilitate smoother traffic flow.
On 7 May 2025, residents across Nairobi experienced a mild tremor. The shaking was felt in areas such as Westlands, Parklands, Kangemi, and Mlolongo, which are all located near the expressway route.
According to the Kenya Meteorological Department, a 4.5-magnitude earthquake occurred near Longido in northern Tanzania. The tremor was felt across Nairobi and surrounding areas due to its shallow depth of 10 kilometres.
Although the shaking caused some brief concern, no injuries or damage were reported. The department classified the intensity as low. The tremors were weak and short-lived.
The photo also appears here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
But are there cracks in the pillars of the Nairobi Expressway, posing a danger to road users? We checked.
AI-generated photo
We ran a reverse image search to trace the photo's origins. We established that the image had been online for at least two weeks before the May 2025 tremor. It was extracted from a video uploaded to an Instagram page with the username World AI. Its bio reads: "Visual effects or not? Let's create a realistic video for you."
In the video, the outer concrete of the pillar appears to collapse while the steel part doesn't, yet the people nearby remain unharmed and in the same position. This is highly unlikely in a real-life incident of this nature.
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It also suggests that the video may have been digitally altered or created using visual effects or artificial intelligence tools. The page also features several other dramatic and hyper-realistic images.
The photo does not depict a structure from the Nairobi Expressway, nor is it connected to the recent tremor or any confirmed damage near Nyayo Stadium.
Furthermore, neither the Kenya National Highways Authority nor Moja Expressway, the company that operates the road, has issued any alerts or warnings about structural issues following the tremor.
This photo also appears here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here.
