Former Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe died at the age of 95 on 6 September 2019. Facebook posts soon emerged saying Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered the country’s national flag to be flown at half-mast in honour of Mugabe.
The posts were flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system. But they’re correct.
On the day of Mugabe’s death, Kenyatta issued a presidential proclamation directing that the country’s flag be flown at half-mast on all public and military buildings in Kenya.
The proclamation reads:
As a mark of respect for the memory of this African hero and friend of our country, by the authority vested in me as President of the Republic of Kenya, I hereby order and direct: That the flag of the Republic of Kenya shall be flown at half-mast at the State House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Republic of Kenya and throughout the Republic of Kenya from dawn on Saturday, 7 September, 2019 until sunset, on Monday 9 September, 2019.
The proclamation was posted on the president’s website, and a link shared on the official Twitter account of State House, the president’s residence and office.
The story was widely reported by Kenya’s mainstream newspapers, including the People Daily, the Star, the Standard and the Daily Nation. – Alphonce Shiundu
The posts were flagged as possibly false by Facebook’s fact-checking system. But they’re correct.
Kenyatta’s proclamation
On the day of Mugabe’s death, Kenyatta issued a presidential proclamation directing that the country’s flag be flown at half-mast on all public and military buildings in Kenya.
The proclamation reads:
As a mark of respect for the memory of this African hero and friend of our country, by the authority vested in me as President of the Republic of Kenya, I hereby order and direct: That the flag of the Republic of Kenya shall be flown at half-mast at the State House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Republic of Kenya and throughout the Republic of Kenya from dawn on Saturday, 7 September, 2019 until sunset, on Monday 9 September, 2019.
The proclamation was posted on the president’s website, and a link shared on the official Twitter account of State House, the president’s residence and office.
The story was widely reported by Kenya’s mainstream newspapers, including the People Daily, the Star, the Standard and the Daily Nation. – Alphonce Shiundu
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