Kenya: Ignore Graphics Claiming Kenya's Electricity Transmission Board Is Only Constituted By Kalenjin Members

IN SHORT: Social media in Kenya is awash with graphics claiming the board of the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company is all members of the Kalenjin ethnic group. But this claim is false.

The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) is responsible for the national power transmission grid and the security of electricity supply in Kenya.

"Ketraco board of Management today had a meeting and the language they used in that meeting was Kalenjin," reads the caption to a graphic circulating Facebook.

The graphic shows what looks like the Ketraco organogram, featuring the photos and names of the board of directors. The graphic features five board members.

Another caption to the graphic reads: "A public institution where all members of board of directors are from one community, this is shameful."

The Kalenjin are an ethnic grouping of eight culturally and linguistically related groups who live in the Mount Elgon region.

Kenya's president William Ruto is from the Kalenjin ethnic group. Since being elected into office, there have been complaints that Kalenjin people have been overwhelmingly appointed to government roles, compared to other tribes. Ruto appointing his kin to government roles would be seen as rewarding loyalty rather than competence. Historically, tribalism has been commonplace in Kenya's political system.

The graphic has also been shared here and here.

But is the Ketraco board only composed of Kalenjin people, as the circulating graphic claims? We checked.

Ignore false claim

Africa Check searched Ketraco's website and found the organisation's official organogram. Ketraco in fact has twelve members on the board of directors. The graphic shared on social media is not accurate.

Our search also suggested that the board consisted of individuals of other ethnicities and not just Kalenjin.

In Kenya it is custom for Kenyan names to reflect familial connections of tribe or ethnicity. For example, in the case of Alex Wachira, "Wachira" points to roots in the Kikuyu community, whereas for Janerose Gatwiri Gitobu, the name "Gatwiri" points to roots in the Meru community.

Ignore false claims that the Ketraco board of directors are all Kalenjin.

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Africa Check is a non-partisan organisation which promotes accuracy in public debate and in the media. X @AfricaCheck and www.africacheck.org