No, Uganda's landmark Mapeera House not destroyed by an earthquake
IN SHORT: Social media posts claiming that an earthquake destroyed Mapeera House use an AI-generated image. Although an earthquake was felt in the Ugandan capital Kampala, no major damage was reported and the landmark building remains intact.
Posts circulating online in June 2026, mainly on TikTok and Facebook, show an image of Kampala's Mapeera House appearing heavily damaged, with a large section of the building seemingly ripped open and debris covering the street below.
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The posts claim that the damage was caused by an earthquake. One widely shared caption reads: "Strong earthquake has destroyed Mapeera house."
Another claims: "Centenary head offices in Kampala near City Square Mapeera House was strongly damaged by earthquake today at 9 pm."
Collectively, the posts have attracted more than a million views and thousands of shares, comments and reactions.
Why the claim spread
Mapeera House is one of Kampala's most recognisable landmarks and serves as the headquarters of Centenary Bank, one of Uganda's largest local banks. The 19-storey building occupies a prominent position on Kampala Road in the city centre.
The claim appears to have emerged after a magnitude 4.4-4.5 earthquake struck Uganda on the night of 31 May. The tremor was felt across several parts of the country, including the capital Kampala. Many residents reported shaking buildings, rattling windows and vibrating walls.
It is against this backdrop that the images began circulating, claiming the earthquake had destroyed Mapeera Houses. But is this true? We checked.
AI-generated image, no evidence of damage
The claim is false. While an earthquake was recorded at 9:19 pm on 31 May in the Lake Kyoga region and felt in Kampala, Uganda's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development said there was no significant damage or loss of life.
A reverse image search points to what is clearly the original image of Mapeera House used to generate the viral image, probably using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.
The original and altered images share the exact same camera angle, night-time lighting, street layout, vehicle positions and people visible on the road. These identical elements indicate that the original photo was used as the base and then digitally altered using an AI image-generation tool to create the appearance of catastrophic structural damage.
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We also found no credible news reports, official statements or announcements from Centenary Bank or any other credible source indicating that Mapeera House suffered earthquake damage.
Given the building's status as a major landmark, damage on the scale shown in the viral image would have attracted media coverage. No such reports exist.
The claim that the image shows the aftermath of the earthquake, having destroyed Mapeera House, is false.
