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No, photo of uniformed officers unrelated to murder of teacher in Kitui

A photo posted on a Kenyan Facebook group page on 9 January 2020 shows a large crowd of men in uniform, carrying weapons. They're described as officers at a primary school in Kitui county, about 170 kilometres east of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. A teacher at the school was reportedly killed by a mob on 6 January. 

“BREAKING!!!! current situation in Ndooni Primary school in Mutitu ~ Kitui county where a primary school teacher was killed for unknown reasons,” the caption reads. “Men in uniform have been deployed to arrest the parents who did such an evil act!!!”

Initial media reports said parents first attacked teachers at the school on 6 January, demanding they be transferred because of “poor” Kenya Certificate of Primary Education results. Later in the day, the reports said, an angry mob killed the female teacher as she was on her way to her daughters’ school. 

But the police then disputed this account and said her death was linked to her having taken part in torture and extortion. One of her victims reportedly told police he had been abducted and then tortured in the teacher’s house.

The Teachers Service Commission, which employs Kenyan teachers, has withdrawn teachers from the school, citing security concerns.

There have since been fears of a police crackdown in the area.



Unrelated photo from 2016


A reverse image search reveals that the photo was not taken in January 2020. It was first published online in March 2016

At the time, local media reported that anti-riot police officers were blocking the main entrance to the police station in Malindi, a town on the coast north of Mombasa. Opposition leaders were at the station to hand over a court order, barring police from arresting Mombasa governor, Hassan Ali Joho, and his Kilifi counterpart, Amason Kingi. – Dancan Bwire




 

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