An image which appears to show vehicles on a highway branded with support for Kenyan presidential candidate George Wajackoyah was doing the rounds on Facebook in mid-June 2022.
The back of the vehicles are covered in decals that say “WAJACKOYAH THE 5TH” and show Wajackoyah and his running mate Justina Wamae, as well as a marijuana leaf.
“Wajackoyah is no longer joking,” one Facebook page captioned the image.
Wajackoyah is one of four candidates the Kenyan Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has cleared to run for president.
He is running on the Roots Party of Kenya ticket, and has promised to legalise marijuana if elected.
Kenya’s upcoming elections are set for 9 August 2022. Supporters refer to their favourite presidential candidates as “the fifth”, in hopes they will succeed president Uhuru Kenyatta who is Kenya’s fourth president.
But is the image of Wajackoyah-branded vehicles authentic? We checked.
Photo altered
A reverse image search reveals the photo is old and not related to Kenya’s 2022 presidential race.
It was published as early as 29 November 2019 and shows a section of Thika superhighway in Kenya. The road links the Kenyan capital Nairobi with the industrial town of Thika in Kiambu county.
But none of the vehicles in the original photo are branded in any way. It has been digitally manipulated.
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Further Reading
A cloudy outlook? What we are learning about election disinformation in Africa and what you can do about it
As nearly a dozen countries prepare to hold presidential elections, the spread of disinformation is inflaming Africa's political landscape.
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