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Jesus in Kenya? No, photo of visiting US preacher

A photo of a bearded man with long hair wearing a white robe and sandals, standing on a stage and holding a microphone, has been shared many times on Facebook in Kenya and other African countries. It contains variations of the claim that it shows Jesus Christ.

On 23 July 2019, it was posted with the comment: “Breaking news!!!!! Jesus is in Kenya.” Other users posted the same claim on other group pages in Kenya.

The photo has also appeared on Facebook in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

And a video of the man dancing has surfaced on Kenyan Facebook pages, again claiming that he is Jesus.



US evangelist and actor


The photo and video are real, but they don’t show Jesus or anyone claiming to be Jesus. The man is Michael Job, a US-based evangelist and actor, who visited Kenya for his church ministry.

His appearance is strikingly similar to the conventional image of Jesus shown in illustrations and movies. (Note: This image has been challenged in recent years.) Job has also played Jesus for tourists at a US theme park.

His Facebook page shows photos and videos of his Kenyan tour.

He also uploaded a photo taken during an interview with a Kenya’s state-owned TV station, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. His “resemblance” to the biblical messiah has been written about in a local news website. – Dancan Bwire




 

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