“WANTED. KSh200,000 reward,” reads a graphic posted on a Kenyan Facebook page. “The suspect listed here is wanted by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.”
The graphic is headed “Directorate of Criminal Investigations” – the DCI, Kenya’s serious crime investigative agency – and has the coat of arms of Kenya’s National Police Service.
It shows a photo of a young man, gives a name, and claims the person is wanted for “distribution of bhang and cocaine” at Kenyatta University and JKUAT, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Bhang is marijuana.
The graphic was posted on 19 June 2020 with the message: “This criminal has wasted many children future by selling them hard drugs in Kenyatta university and JKUAT. Most of those he recruited in his gang some have died some are Rotting in jail.”
But did the DCI issue this wanted poster?
Africa Check could not find the graphic on the DCI website, its Facebook page or its Twitter account.
We contacted the DCI on Twitter to ask if they had issued the wanted poster.
“We have not sent such an alert,” they said. – Grace Gichuhi
The graphic is headed “Directorate of Criminal Investigations” – the DCI, Kenya’s serious crime investigative agency – and has the coat of arms of Kenya’s National Police Service.
It shows a photo of a young man, gives a name, and claims the person is wanted for “distribution of bhang and cocaine” at Kenyatta University and JKUAT, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Bhang is marijuana.
The graphic was posted on 19 June 2020 with the message: “This criminal has wasted many children future by selling them hard drugs in Kenyatta university and JKUAT. Most of those he recruited in his gang some have died some are Rotting in jail.”
But did the DCI issue this wanted poster?
‘We have not sent such an alert’
Africa Check could not find the graphic on the DCI website, its Facebook page or its Twitter account.
We contacted the DCI on Twitter to ask if they had issued the wanted poster.
“We have not sent such an alert,” they said. – Grace Gichuhi
For publishers: what to do if your post is rated false
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Click on our guide for the steps you should follow.
Publishers guideAfrica Check teams up with Facebook
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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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