IN SHORT: Higher education is much sought-after in Kenya. And judging by aerial photos of a striking series of buildings, which student wouldn’t want to attend the country’s Masinde Muliro university? Unfortunately, the pics show an institution on the other side of the continent.
A Facebook page with 2,700 followers has posted two eye-catching photos with the claim they are aerial views of Kenya’s Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.
The university is in Kakamega, a town in the western Kenyan county of the same name. It lies about 380 kilometres northwest of Nairobi, the capital.
The photos, watermarked with the name “Albert Chime”, show a series of beautifully designed buildings surrounded by greenery, a ring road around them.
But were they really snapped above the 17,000-student Masinde Muliro university?
Accra, Ghana is tagged as photos’ location
A Google reverse image search suggests the photos actually show the University of Ghana. Ghana is a West African country more than 6,000 kilometres by road from Kenya.
When you scroll down the reverse image search results, you’ll see pages that include matching images.
One result is on the Travel and Africa Facebook page. It posted the same photos on 22 September 2021 with the caption: “An Aerial view of University Of Ghana. Tell us, is this not picturistique?”
The caption credits photographer Albert Chime and tags Accra, Ghana’s capital, as the place the photos were snapped.
A Google search for “Albert Chime” returns the Instagram account “albertchime”. Its profile describes him as an Accra-based photographer.
One of the photos was posted on the account on 3 September 2021, described as the University of Ghana.
In the caption, Chime describes buying a drone to take aerial photos, being robbed of it, and then being gifted a new drone.
“So for my first professional flight I went to my Alma Mater; the University of Ghana,” he adds. “This is the place where I grew my passion and I’m hoping this opens doors for many great vibes!”
Photographers and photojournalists work hard to hone their skills, and their work should be properly credited.
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