IN SHORT: A message that has been online in Kenya since 2021 is once again doing the rounds, urging those who worked for the education ministry between 1997 and 2007 to collect their pensions from the public service centres. It is false.
A message circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp in Kenya since September 2023 claims that long-suffering former employees of the ministry of education are being paid.
“Hi members, do you know of anyone who worked in the ministry of Education as a teacher or any other position and retired between the year 1997 and 2007?” reads one post on Facebook.
“If yes, advice him/her or his/her family (if deceased) to visit Huduma Centre - Pensions department for some claims that were paid. Tell a friend to tell a friend.”
Huduma Kenya is a government-led initiative aimed at improving public services across the country.
The message is quite resilient. Africa Check found that it has been making the rounds online since at least September 2021, as can be seen here, here, here, and here.
In 2021, Kenya’s pensions department termed the claim as “false and misleading information”.
Its reappearance in Kenya in September 2023 coincides with reports that retired teachers are demanding their accrued benefits.
The message has been widely shared in public Facebook groups with thousands of members, including here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
But is it true this time, leading to relief for the concerned workers?
‘Beware of Scammers!’
The message doesn’t appear on Huduma Kenya’s Facebook or X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) pages, where it posts its latest news.
In September 2023, Huduma Kenya on its official X account warned the public to disregard the message, which it said was fake.
“Caution: Beware of Scammers! Please exercise caution before sharing personal information or responding to such messages,” the government agency wrote.
Kenya’s National Police Service also posted the warning on its social media platforms.
The wait continues for the retirees.
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