Lucy Mwangi and Jacob Nyukuri
1. A digital card with the Nation Africa logo shared by Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho purporting to show the results of the deputy presidential debate between Azimio la Umoja running mate Martha Karua and Kenya Kwanza’s Rigathi Gachagua was misleading. A search on Karua’s and Gachagua’s social media accounts revealed that no such digital card or statement was ever issued. Nation, on the other hand, flagged the digital card as fake on their official twitter account on July 20, 2022, noting that the post did not come from their media house.
2. An image circulating on Twitter purporting to show Queen Elizabeth II wearing a yellow robe with a UDA logo was altered. The image shared on July 21, 2022, shows the long-reigning British monarch holding her purse in the robe, which bears the logo of the political party of Deputy President William Ruto. The Media Observer team conducted a reverse image search and discovered that the original photo was taken in June 2018 when the queen attended the first day of the Royal Ascot horse race. It was first shared on June 19, 2018 by Town & Country magazine, a monthly American lifestyle magazine.
3. Digital cards that circulated on social media purporting to show Azimio coalition’s Nairobi gubernatorial candidate, Polycarp Igathe, threatening to withdraw from the race were false. According to the digital cards, bearing The Standard and NTV logos, Igathe threatened to withdraw from the race. But a search on Igathe’s social media accounts revealed that no such card or statement was shared. The Standard Digital disowned the digital card on July 17, 2022, terming it as fake. On July 18, NTV also dismissed the post and labeled the card as fake.
- A press release purportedly distributed by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission clarifying about an additional 6,000 polling stations was false. The statement, purportedly signed by the IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati, and shared on July 18, 2022, listed 18 counties where the new polling stations are located. On July 18, 2022, the electoral agency took to Twitter to clarify that the information supposedly from the commission was fake.
- Claims that Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala declared support for his preferred presidential candidate are false and misleading. According to a tweet shared on July 18, 2022, Balala declared his support for Deputy President William Ruto. The post claimed that he will be part of the next government. But another tweet said Balala indicated his preferred presidential candidate is ODM leader Raila Odinga. CS Balala stated in a tweet on July 18, 2022, that the claims were false.
