An article shared on Facebook claims that former Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki is dead.
The 9 March 2020 article says: “Kibaki has been declared dead by Doctors, in what seemed as Kidney complications.”
Kibaki served as Kenya’s third president from December 2002 to April 2013.
Since Kibaki’s retirement, he has been ill from time to time, which Kenyan media have reported on. But he has also repeatedly been victim to death hoaxes. Is this another hoax? We checked.
If Kibaki had died, Kenya’s current president, Uhuru Kenyatta, would have issued a proclamation and announced a state funeral, as prescribed in the law governing retired presidents.
Mainstream media would also have widely covered Kibaki’s death, like the special broadcasts after the death of retired president Daniel arap Moi on 4 February 2020. But there have been no trustworthy reports of Kibaki’s death.
The website on which this article was published is notorious for spreading false information.
The website pretends to be the website for the radio station Milele FM. But on 26 December 2019, the real Milele FM distanced itself from any connection with the website.
In January 2020 alone, Africa Check debunked two articles published on the website.
This story is equally untrue and Mwai Kibaki is not dead. – Grace Gichuhi
The 9 March 2020 article says: “Kibaki has been declared dead by Doctors, in what seemed as Kidney complications.”
Kibaki served as Kenya’s third president from December 2002 to April 2013.
Since Kibaki’s retirement, he has been ill from time to time, which Kenyan media have reported on. But he has also repeatedly been victim to death hoaxes. Is this another hoax? We checked.
Clues to false information
If Kibaki had died, Kenya’s current president, Uhuru Kenyatta, would have issued a proclamation and announced a state funeral, as prescribed in the law governing retired presidents.
Mainstream media would also have widely covered Kibaki’s death, like the special broadcasts after the death of retired president Daniel arap Moi on 4 February 2020. But there have been no trustworthy reports of Kibaki’s death.
Fake Milele FM website
The website on which this article was published is notorious for spreading false information.
The website pretends to be the website for the radio station Milele FM. But on 26 December 2019, the real Milele FM distanced itself from any connection with the website.
In January 2020 alone, Africa Check debunked two articles published on the website.
This story is equally untrue and Mwai Kibaki is not dead. – Grace Gichuhi
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
A fact-checker has rated your Facebook or Instagram post as “false”, “altered”, “partly false” or “missing context”. This could have serious consequences. What do you do?
Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
Africa Check is a partner in Meta's third-party fact-checking programme to help stop the spread of false information on social media.
The content we rate as “false” will be downgraded on Facebook and Instagram. This means fewer people will see it.
You can also help identify false information on Facebook. This guide explains how.
Further Reading
[email protected]: The challenges of working across Africa
Misinformation knows no borders and Africa Check often responds to similar false claims from country to country.
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