What seems to be an internal memo announcing the suspension of all first year students at Kenya’s Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) has been posted on Facebook and on the blog News Sawa.
The subject line of the document, dated 1 February 2022, reads: “SUSPENSION OF ALL FIRST YEAR STUDENTS FOR MISBEHAVING DURING MMUSO NIGHT ON SATURDAY 29th JANUARY 2022”.
It adds: “This is to inform you that the department of academic affairs with coordination of the sports and entertainment has decided to suspend all first year students for sexual misbehaving and drug abuse.”
The memo has been shared on a public Facebook page with over 33,000 followers, and another with almost 17,000 followers.
But has the western Kenyan university really suspended all first years for “sexual misbehaving and drug abuse” on freshers’ night? We checked.
Stay calm – memo ‘false and misleading’
On 2 February MMUST posted the memo on its Facebook and Twitter accounts, stamped “FAKE” in red.
False News Alert!
— Masinde Muliro Univ. (@MMUST_Kenya) February 2, 2022
There is news circulating on social media that MMUST has suspended all First Year Students. We wish to clarify that the information is false and misleading, and urge all students to remain calm. pic.twitter.com/gOW4IzIPfd
“False News Alert!” the university wrote.
“There is news circulating on social media that MMUST has suspended all First Year Students. We wish to clarify that the information is false and misleading, and urge all students to remain calm."
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