By Lucy Mwangi and Jacob Nyukuri
- A video clip that circulated on social media of Kirinyaga sub-county director of education Kennedy Machora claiming that 12,000 secondary school students in Kirinyaga Central have contracted sexually transmitted infections was misleading. On November 29, 2022, the Media Observer team contacted the office of the County Executive Committee (CEC) for Medical Services in Kirinyaga, George Karoki, who informed us that the information was misleading. He clarified that the Department of Health recorded and treated 4,409 cases of STIs in the entire county and 1,345 cases in Kirinyaga Central this year. We also discovered a statement by Dr Karoki, posted on the official Facebook page of the County Government of Kirinyaga on November 28, stating that the “claims cannot be substantiated” and that the department had not conducted mass STI testing on secondary school students. Kirinyaga County Commissioner Moses Ivuto had also questioned the statistics provided by the county senior education officer Machora, who asked officials to ‘learn’ to provide accurate figures.
- A tweet shared on November 29 claiming Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s security was withdrawn was false. On November 30, 2022, the Media Observer team contacted Azimio leader Raila Odinga’s aide, Dennis Onyango, who refuted the claims stating that Raila security is intact.
- A Facebook post supposedly displaying an updated list of candidates shortlisted for the position of Solicitor General currently held by Kennedy Ogeto was misleading. According to the post shared on December 2, the list consists of 18 applicants. On November 2, the Media Observer confirmed the candidates shortlisted for the position are eight. They will be interviewed at the Public Service Commission, Commission House, Harambee Avenue, Nairobi.
- A tweet that claimed adonkey Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii rode died mysteriously was misleading. Bii is seen riding a horse in a video attached to the tweet on December 1, and another attachment of a black horse lying on the ground.The Media Observer discovered a video on Standard Digital’s Facebook page of Governor Bii riding a brown horse draped in UDA colours after receiving IEBC clearance to run in the August 9 general elections, and not a donkey. We also conducted a reverse image search, which revealed the image of the black horse was first shared on iStock, an online royalty free, international micro stock photography provider based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on October 3, 2019. We also discovered that the horse image was shared on March 4, 2020 on PHD Veterinary Services’ Twitter account, explaining how to prevent Colic in horses.
5. A tweet that claimed adonkey Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii rode died mysteriously was misleading. Bii is seen riding a horse in a video attached to the tweet on December 1, and another attachment of a black horse lying on the ground.The Media Observer discovered a video on Standard Digital’s Facebook page of Governor Bii riding a brown horse draped in UDA colours after receiving IEBC clearance to run in the August 9 general elections, and not a donkey. We also conducted a reverse image search, which revealed the image of the black horse was first shared on iStock, an online royalty free, international micro stock photography provider based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on October 3, 2019. We also discovered that the horse image was shared on March 4, 2020 on PHD Veterinary Services’ Twitter account, explaining how to prevent Colic in horses.
- A tweet that claimed East African Breweries halted Chrome Gin production a year ago was false. On November 21, the Media Observer contacted the EABL customer care desk, who dismissed the claim. We also discovered a tweet on Chrome’s official Twitter account, posted on November 14, in response to a netizen who had shared the claim about the drink’s production being halted. Chrome stated that the drink was still available. KBL on November 15 in a tweet clarified that the drink is still sold.
