IN SHORT: Beware of Facebook accounts “Douglas Kanja Kirocho”, “Douglas Kanja Kirocho (Wa Stella)”, “Douglas Kanja” and “Douglas Kirocho Kanja”. They are impersonating the Deputy Inspector General of the Kenya Police Service. Kanja does not operate any social media accounts.
On 12 April 2023, Kenya's president William Ruto appointed Douglas Kanja as the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIGP).
Over time, Kanja has become more prominent, leading to some Facebook accounts posting content using his name.
We found four accounts on Facebook using his photos and name here, here, here and here. These accounts have thousands of friends combined.
The accounts have posted congratulatory messages for Kenyan athletes, announcements from the National Police Service and status and profile picture updates, among others.
While it is normal for a Facebook user to post about their activities, are any of these accounts being run by the deputy police chief?
Ignore fake accounts using deputy police chief’s identity
The National Police Service (NPS) issued a disclaimer to the public through its official Facebook page. It flagged several fake Facebook accounts in the name of the DIGP.
"Disclaimer...!!! We wish to caution the general public against interacting with the several fake accounts purporting to belong to the Deputy Inspector General-Kenya Police Service, Mr Douglas Kanja. The existing accounts are being maintained by impostors with criminal intent to defraud unsuspecting Kenyans. Please note that DIG-KPS does not operate any social media accounts," the NPS wrote.
The NPS also linked four fake Facebook accounts and urged the public to report them.
The Facebook accounts flagged as fake by the NPS are Douglas Kanja Kirocho, Douglas Kanja Kirocho (Wa Stella), Douglas Kanja and Douglas Kirocho Kanja.
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