IN SHORT: Online claims that the estate of Aaron Cheruiyot, who is a sitting senator, was invaded by thugs are false. The reports didn’t originate from the private broadcaster NTV Kenya.
A screenshot of what appears to be a Facebook post by the private broadcaster NTV Kenya was posted on social media in Kenya on 28 May 2023. The station has national reach.
It reads: “Thugs Break Into Senator Cheruiyot's Samburet estate Home, Steal Ksh.1.1M In Cash and other other items.”
The screenshot shows a photo of Aaron Cheruiyot, the senator for Kericho county, which is about 264 kilometres northwest of the capital Nairobi.
He is also the majority leader in the senate of Kenya’s United Democratic Alliance party.
The screenshot was also posted to a public Facebook group with over 40,000 members.
Kenyans would be concerned for their own safety if even a high-profile, protected public figure like Cheruyiot was to fall victim to crime.
But is the claim true and did NTV Kenya report that thugs broke into senator Cheruiyot’s estate? We checked.
‘Be aware of fake news’
The alleged break-in has not been reported by any credible media outlet. And it does not appear anywhere on Cheruiyot’s Twitter account.
Africa Check was also unable to find the post on NTV Kenya's verified Facebook page.
On 29 May, the channel took to Facebook and Twitter to warn people that the post did not come from them.
“Be aware of fake news! If it is not on our official social media pages, it is fake,” it wrote.
You can report accounts that spread fake news here and here.
Republish our content for free
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.
Add new comment