By Lucy Mwangi and Jacob Nyongesa
- A tweeted image claiming to show Deputy President William Ruto on the front cover of the June 11–17, 2011, edition of The Economist newsmagazine is fake. The headline reads, “The man who screwed an entire country”, with the front cover of the international weekly newspaper promising “a 14-page special report on William Ruto Kenya”. A Google reverse image search of the cover reveals it was Italy’s former Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, and not DP Ruto, who featured on the June 11–17, 2011 edition of The Economist. The headline of the original copy and the story highlights of the original cover are the same as those on the altered cover. The second longest-serving prime minister in Italy after Benito Mussolini, Berlusconi’s tenure spanned 17 years. The special report of the June 11–17, 2011 edition of the Economist examines the economic state of Italy during Mr Berlusconi’s tenure as prime minister and the state of the critical state of the public debt.
2. An image shared on Facebook claiming to be a front page of the April 17, 2021 edition of the Saturday Standard is fake. The lead story in the purported front page alleges that allies of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka and former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama held a nightlong meeting. The front cover splash reads, “Muthama, Kalonzo allies in night long meeting”. The image was shared by several social media users. However, the Standard Digital’s official Twitter page published on the said date reveals that the cover image is fake. The lead story of the genuine cover page was about the top candidates in the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education 2020 exam. Other stories highlighted on the fake front cover are similar to those in the legitimate Saturday Standard. In a tweet on April 17, Muthama dismissed the fake front cover as the work of deceptive people.
3. A press release posted on Twitter claiming that Nairobi regional commissioner James Kianda has instructed the police to block roads and detain anyone who defies the 8pm curfew was fake. The fake press release says all major roads in the county will be blocked by 8pm to enforce the curfew ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta. The Kenyatta instituted the curfew as a measure to curb the rising cases of Covid-19. The ‘press release’ is not properly dated and does not show the month the order was made, casting its authenticity in doubt. The Ministry of Interior dismissed the press statement as fake and released the official press statement by the Nairobi regional commissioner on the Covid-19 compliance measures.
4. A digital card shared on Facebook with a quote attributed to KANU chairman Gideon Moi is fake. The digital card, which bears the branding of Nation Africa, quotes Moi decrying the endless financial demands of Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula and Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi. The One Kenya Alliance is a new political outfit that was formed following a partnership between Moi, Wetang’ula, Mudavadi and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka. Nation Africa flagged the digital card on their Twitter page as fake and asked members of the public to ignore it.
5. And finally, a tweet claiming the People’s Empowerment Party has unveiled a candidate for the Kiambaa constituency by-election in Kiambu is fake. The tweet claims that Raymond Kuria has been fielded in Kiambaa by Ndovu party. The Kiambaa parliamentary seat fell vacant after the demise of the area MP Paul Koinange on March 31. That claim has been dismissed by Moses Kuria, the Gatundu South MP associated with PEP. In a tweet on April 15, Kuria said the party has not unveiled a candidate for the Kiambaa by-election. Similarly, Raymond Kuria denied the claim on his Facebook account. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission is yet to declare the Kiambaa parliamentary seat vacant, a requirement that would allow interested candidates to formally prepare for the race.
